Fade Away
by RukiaRocks
Summary: Karin is a dark angel, and Toshiro, the opposite.They felt ackward in the presents of the other. So, when they are asked to be battle partners, how will they change? And will they discover the horrific consiquences of loving an angel from another world?
1. Meet Me

Meet Me 

I slammed the door in her face and plopped down on the bed, I didn't care if my red dress was soaked. _What was I doing?! I can't believe I_ . . . My thoughts were interrupted by the soft touch of one of my feathers to my skin. My stress had caused a few feathers to fly out. _A shame, everyone loved my wings. Oh well- _I glanced at it, for awhile, astonished and scared. I often thought, _No way, _and, _I can't be, it must be Toshiro's. _It just sat there like it was mocking me. In my coal black wings it lay. The snow white feather, that my wings had produced. I knew it, it wouldn't be much longer. Until I..

**Fade Away...**

Karin Kurosaki here. I don't where hair bows, I don't stand around gossiping all day, and I most certainly am not the damsel in distress. I know what you're thinking, the dark angel, and princess of the Dark Realm, I have to have dresses and jewelry. And you're right, I do have them, and I do wear them, but I assure you, not because I want to. People love my true blue eyes because of their rareness, but most people spot my distinct raven hair that is unusual for a royal angel.

Now, black hair and dark angels go hand in hand, but it's the fact I have it that startles people. Everyone in my family, besides my dad, has an abnormal colored hair for a regular dark angel. No one freaks about goat face cause he's been weird from the beginning when his head cracked at birth. Since my dad has black hair, they should have expected me to, but I guess not. Now, people often mistake me as a regular angel.

The Dark Realm and the Light Realm are constantly at war. Small regions battle them, when we technically have a treaty. I never cared about the war, and the parties, the meeting I had to attend seemed like a waste of time, that is, until I met him.

**Four hours earlier**

"Get the curling iron and the red eye shadow and, Suki, could you grab me that red nail polish!" Yuzu cried

I sat at the dresser, my hand on my chin, watching her frantically instruct the maids and butlers.

"If you keep yelling, you'll sound like a maid too."

Yuzu ducked up under me and measure my waist length.

"Yep, and if you keep putting your hand on your chin, you're going to ruin your nails."

I looked at my face in the mirror, I was sploshed with red nail polish.

"Yuzu! At least tell me before you use magic on my nails!"

"Yea, yea sure."

All of a sudden a group of people bust through the door and amidst all the ruckus, they managed to stuff a dress over me. It was itchy and black and it puffed out like it was from the 1800's or something.

"Too small." The yelled, then like ripples in a pond, they all repeated "Too small" "Too small" "Too small"

"Bring in the next one!"

They tugged the next dress off of me and brought in the next one. In the period between the first dress and the second I sat there, my hair messy, not realizing they had used magic to put me in my white cami and shorts. I hated magic for that reason, they didn't tell you anything, they just did it, and told you nothing, you only realize it after the damage is done, I knew that would be a problem in the future.

The tailors slipped on dress after dress until finally Ichigo bust through the door.

"Hurry up! Ten minutes!"

Everyone literally started yelling and I felt make up artists plucking at my eye lashes, and then I felt something fuzzy on my foot. I freaked out, reacting to the foreign feeling. I kicked hard and smacked my butler through the wall.

"Karin! He was just putting your shoes on! Seriously you're worse than me, can't use magic, but you have a forceful kick."

I shooed away the hair stylists and make up artists, leaning down to take a look at the guy and see if he was alright.

He was upside down, his head against the bottom bathroom wall and his legs where twisted up around the sink and around him were the ruins of the wall I recklessly smashed through.

He put his hand up to show he was ok.

"Good one, your grace."

I laughed, sitting back up. Immediately everyone set to work, and finally they finished, I picked out a black dress and scurried out with my mask.

They had settled for what they called "An ok look" which for me was way over done. Dark red eye shadow and bloody red lipstick, hair put up in a bun with, you guessed it, red ribbons, dangling from my hair. The dress was nothing special, although it was quiet sparkly like all the others, a lot of slack and the fabric drooped down and were very loose. Apparently I had to come, alone, to dance, Yuzu was sick (Although she didn't look it. -_-) and couldn't come so I have to preform our twin dance for this party. She just chickened out like she always does, but today was different because I would have to do it in front of not only the Dark Realm, but the Light Realm as well.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Normal routine, I twisted and twirled, ran up the marble poles and flowed back down, the fans in my hands felt like swords slashing at the air. I could see the bright colors of the light realms angel wings. Of course all the angels in there looked the same. Bright colored hair like Yuzu's and Ichigo's but among the brightest where those with hair as snow white as their wings. I guessed they were nobles. Obviously, their hair was combed and styled, as expected, but a pair of teal eyes caught onto my own. I lost balance on the rope and i fell. I tried to pry my wings out of the binding, but to no avail, i just kept falling until finally that set of eyes came closer. Then I could feel cool breath and i stopped falling.

Something soft fell in my hand. I open one eye and there sat a tiny white feather, I looked up and on the face of a white haired man where the pair of turquoise eyes I could feel studying me. Now I felt the need to slap this dude, but I couldn't because I would be dropped. I felt like I was just saved by a stalker. He put me down, still keeping the plastered frown (You heard right, a frown, from a light angel, Humph! go figure!) and bowed stepping back the other side of the ball room.

I took a closer look, and he was no man, he was only a boy, about my age, so I stopped and thought about kicking him in the nut. For a moment he looked cute, like a fuzzy little toy, but then it all dissolve when I heard the ringing voice of, I supposed his mother.

"Toshiro, sweety come along now, we need you to talk with the elder,"

The elder? Our elder? But that could only mean..No way..The prince, Oh please to don't tell me the prince was this guy! OH Dang it! I'm such a klutz! I slammed my foot down into the ground and it smashed in the stone floor, making a sound like porcelain glass shattering.

I looked down at my foot, and the boy spun around.

I blushed.

Wait a sec I don't blush.

I slamed my other foot in the ground.

_Oh dang it! _I fidgeted and tugged on my legs.

"You won't want to do that." I looked up and the boys voice was surprisingly deep and authoritative.

"If you continue, you will damage your leg even more."

He stooped down and stared to heal it.

I imediately studdered "Ah.. Umm.. Sorry, about the floor and all."

He mumbled "It's fine, you're more important."

I started to get flush, as I automatically lifted my foot up out of the sharp, jagged edged hole. I was thinking of kicking him, when, like a reminder saying, _You idiot, he's the prince. _My leg was slit all the way from my knee to my ankle. I hastily lifted up my expensive dress, so the blood wouldn't get on it, but, being the tomboy I am, I wasn't used to dresses and I lifted it up too high.

**Author's Notes:**

**How'd ya like it? It get's better i promise. Anyways review and read.**

**Love ya,**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**


	2. My Temper

My Temper

At this point, thank god for shorts. And even though my being a tomboy got me into this mess, thank god I am one or I wouldn't have them on now. Death by embarrassment is what might happen to me at this point. The boy who just saved me turns back and, upon seeing my bleeding legs, rushes over to heal them, ignoring that I'd pulled my dress up to high. I could here, though, the laughs and giggles from the people all around, I hastily lowered my skirt and watched as the rather aristocratic looking boy got down on his knees and began using kido on my legs.

The magic stung my legs and weakly managed to flop down on the ground while the healing was in process. I didn't feel like looking at the hundreds of people laughing and pointing at me so I just focused on the boy. He was quite a gentlemen to not even consider look up my dress. Hell, I'm flattering myself, I lifted my dress so high you didn't even have to try and see what was underneath. But ok, I was still wearing shorts, being a tomboy, and not being comfortable with going without any pants on.

"What are you people gawking at? Obviously this girl needs help, anyone one of you want to come help me?" The boy asks impatiently to the crowd.

Everyone suddenly snaps out of their trance and all the light angels begin to rush up to me and help in on the healing and unbinding my wings, some people actually get down on their knees and help pick up the shattered pieces of tile. How important is this boy for the rich people here to get on their hands and knees and do the work of a maid?

I stutter a bit, "Um—You don't have to do this, I'm fine-"

"It's only right for we light angels, the guests, to help you in your time of need," The boy began,

That, had it's double meaning. What he was saying was, back off, or this treaty between our people will collapse. And that's true. I could tell in it in the air. It was thick with an uncomfortable film. People with the white wings where reluctant to talk to those with back and vice versa. They just needed one thing, just one thing, to flip out and not attend this meeting at all. There was always something that clashed between the dark and light angels. Something I can't explain; something that's rooted into both our pasts and has long since been forgot but who's affects still remain. Something happened, and now the dark and light angels are always in war or always talking down on the other.

* * *

I stumbled out of the ball room and limped my way over to the railing of the balcony, my bandaged foot still recovering a bit. The party had recovered and there was now laughter and music coming from inside again. I ran my fingers through my hair and closed my eyes, sighing. I almost ruined the whole fragile atmosphere of this party. It was so very important, too. I slapped off my high heels and angrily threw them off the balcony, screaming at the top of my lungs.

When my arm came back into place from throwing the shoes, I felt a sharp pain running from my back to the tips of my wings. I draw my wings in front of me and I stroke their coal blackness lightly. The binding probably twisted my wings a bit and pulled a muscle somewhere..

"I can heal your wings too," I hear from behind me.

He had his arms crossed and he was leaning up against the door way causally.

"No, not really, they've just been acting up a bit." I fiddle with one of my feathers and dismiss my wings.

I turn back to face him and I notice how amazingly bright his eyes are. Night is the time for the dark angels, but night also makes those fragile light angels glow even more. He has standard hair that a light angel would have; white. But his eyes, those icy-teal eyes, they seemed to scream with light. And it was almost ominous, the way they reflected the light of the moon and glittered brilliantly. This boy, who exactly was he? If he was going to talk to the elders of the dark world, he should be someone of great stature, a prince perhaps? What is he doing talking to me, a dancer and a girl from the other world, no less?

"And your legs?" He asks walking up beside me and leaning over the railing.

"They're fine." I say. I'm trying to end the conversation because people might get the wrong idea. Especially seeing as he seems high in status and we're both from different worlds.

"Right then...So then do you like soccer?"

"No offense, but why are you talking to me in the first place?" I ask.

"Well if you haven't noticed I'm surrounded by adults that a herding my like an animal to and from to meet people. I'd like to take a break for a sec before they find me. You're the only person of my age here so trust me, if I had someone else to talk to, I wouldn't be pestering you right not." He turns and faces the doorway, his arms hanging over the railing.

"How is it you know I like soccer?" I begin after awhile.

"Hmm? Oh, cause of you shorts."

Ah! So he did look! That sneeky bastard! Looking underneath my dress!

I take my hand and smack him in the back of the head.

"Ow!" He whines, "What was that for?"

I hit him again, "Stop it,"

A third time. And he steps back and winces a bit.

"Pervert." I mutter.

"Well aren't you bold. No one's ever said something like that to me," He laughs.

Of course, mean he's obviously so sort of noble so..

"Is that some sort of warning? Cause I'll hit you again if you think status will scare me into submission. I'm not being a mindless puppet-"

"No actually, you remind me of a very stubborn friend of mine. It's comforting..Reminds me I'm not the only one in this position.."

In this position? What did he mean by that. I was about to open my mouth and say something when someone yelled, "Hitsugaya-ouji-sama,"

So he is a prince.

A woman in a light yellow silk dress runs up to the boy, her high heels clacking as she ran.

"Hitsugaya-ouji-sama, if we don't incorporate the following people into our schedule and speak to them within the next 5 minutes, we won't be able to finish conversing by the end of the party-" The woman stops and looks in my direction. She's rather reluctant to acknowledge me but she forces a smile and begins, "Well Hello there, Miss, if you could excuse yourself while I speak to-"

I could tell she thought I was a swine as she let her eyes slide down, examining me. When she stopped at my bare feet.

"Hitsugaya-ouji-sama, why are you associating yourself with such a standard and...Is this dark angel bothering you?"

I interrupted, "So now dark angels are necessarily different from light?"

"I merely called you a dark angel, which is what you are-"

"And should that make a difference? You know, why are you people trying to make a treaty with us when in reality, you think of us as dirt? Are we any less than you just because me have black feathers?" I argue.

She stops herself from saying anything more and grabs the boy's arm, "Hitsugaya-ouji-sama, we must take leave."

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't force me to do things. I can think for myself, and this girl's ideas are rather interesting." He tries to tug away from her.

The lady calls for people and suddenly a horde of people in tuxedos rushes toward the girl to back her up.

"Now you see why I wanted a break," The boy told me.

"A break, is that what this is about? Ouji-sama, you're not a child anymore, you can't keep running away."

"I'm only 12!" He laughs.

The men come closer, their walk becoming faster and faster. They flock to the boy and hold his arms and keep his feet in place. The woman takes a vile out of her purse, is she planning to use a potion? I'm not going to sit back and do nothing.

I take the boy's arm and pull him back, kicking a guy off of him. But it only made all the other come in closer. When I get the boy's arm free, he turns back toward me, but that was too close. And I don't mean, OMG there's a spark and we started blushing and them he grabs me and we jump off the balcony, we're so close that we actually bump teeth. Which I suppose you could count as, yes, you romance lovers out there, a kiss.

* * *

**Author's Commentary:**

**Ok, so here's how it went: **

**I started this story at the same time as, Hello Professor. I promised after that story was done i'd come back and finish this one. Well, the sequel, GPS system began and I really didn't have much time until now. Thanks for waiting, review review review! **

**~*RukiaRocks*~**

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**Fuyu Kiba**

**Love ya'll!**


	3. Just Sucks

Just Sucks..

I can feel my head hit up against the railing of the balcony. And as I whimper from the pain, the boy gets off of me and the astonished woman seizes his arm.

"Hitsugaya-ouji-sama, are you alright?" She asks.

"Obviously. Aren't you going to help the girl up instead?" He questions back.

I wince and wobble to my feet. I feel again, the sudden throb to my head and I weakly put my weight on the balcony. My wings begin to pang with stings of soreness after I look at them and find them somewhat bent from the ungraceful landing on the ground. I fold them in and give them a brush or two. And then I decide this is enough. If I keep this up I'm going to blow up this building for sure.

I bow respectfully in their direction and stutter, "Forgive me, I am, quite clumsy. Though, I must say, my lady, this is a party to discuss the unity and peace of the light and dark angels. You seemed, when you spoke just now, as though we dark angels where dirt and nothing but trash to get rid of. This event does call for us to treat one another as equals. I suggest, when you address higher authorities, you watch your tone of voice." I looked up from my bow and she seemed to bite her lip, as if to hold back something insulting.

"And this boy does not wish to accompany you. If you are calling him prince then you must be a governess. Let me assure you then, you work for him, not the other way around. If he doesn't want to do something, try not to force him. Someday you might end up loosing your job." I winked at her and she fumed with anger.

I glanced in the boy's direction and lisped an, "I'm sorry" again. For hitting him, and for possibly stealing something of importance to him..If he's girly enough to think a kiss matters. Or was that even a kiss? Huh..I don't think I know if that's considered one..Perhaps because I've never had a kiss before..So then, does that mean that was my first kiss? But I ran into him that was an accident!

He smiles a bit by how the governess is so disturbed by my words and he lisps a "thank you" back. I suppose he's been trying to get some excitement in his life for awhile.

"Well then," I begin, "I'll be taking my leave."

And when I step forward. God! The expensive dress I was wearing, which I had so carefully tried to keep clean, ripped as I had caught it in the wedges of the balcony's stone.

"No no no no no! Crap, dad's going to kill me! Stop ripping!" I shoved my foot in the ground.

"Is anything the matter?" The boy asked.

"The matter? Oh, my dress ripped and it's of great value..I was renting it so..." I looked back down at the dress, realizing I'd have to pay for it, it wasn't just one of my mom's old gowns, "Ah, Crap!" I yell.

"I can have my maids fix it," He offers.

"Hitsugaya-ouji-sama, that is an utter waste of money!" The governess says.

"Yeah, just like your boob job, but it didn't stop you from doing it!" I laugh. The boy looks away and covers his mouth to stop from bursting out. The governess, by now, is outraged. I don't want to stick around to see her explode.

"It's fine," I reply, "I'll just use the money I got from today's performance to pay it off."

"But I insist, I'm the one who caused that anyway," He says.

"Oh please, I'm the one who pull you back," I began.

"Miss, it's of no inconvenience to me. Why not just stop by the Hitsugaya estate, we can fix the rip in no time. Besides, I'd like to do this again sometime," He says, but then he stops himself. Wrong word choice.

What the hell is he saying? I'm a dark angel, I can't..Well I won't go into light angel territory. And did he just say..I blushed, "Y-you mean, talk, right..Not the..." Kiss..I wanted to finish, but obviously it wasn't really one.

"Of course, fool...That's what I mean," We're both avoiding eye contact not and I suppose, red as most apples.

"I'm a fool, am I? What type of prince, eloquent, language is that?" I ask.

"Well what about you," He retorts, "Aren't you suppose to be an dancer, gliding around everywhere. You practically fell out of the sky today!"

"You're not even man enough to remember to give me your name, Mr. Savior," I nag.

He stops and laughs, "Toshiro Hitsugaya, youngest prince of the Purity branch of the light angels, am you, Ms. Damsel in Distress?"

Purity branch..That's the branch dedicated to keeping pure light angel blood, not a drop of dark angel. So then, he's a pure blood...

"Ah..It's Karin Kurosaki..And Sorry to disappoint you but I'm not any fancy noble or royalty...I'm just...Me," I say.

"Well then, Ms. Kurosaki, would you mind giving me a dance. I'm sure, you of all people, a professional, know as much," He bows and offers his hand.

Excuse...I need and excuse because I hate dancing and this guy creeps me out...Excuse..

"But my dress is ripped," I say.

"No one's look, we're on a balcony," He laughs.

The governess opens her mouth to say something, but just shakes her head and taps her foot on the ground.

Umm...Umm..What do I do?

"I have to leave, bye!" I get up on the balcony rail and fly of the edge.

"Hey you!" someone on the lawn shouts, "Flying in this area is prohibited."

"I'd stop if I wasn't running from someone!" I yell back down. Oh crap did he just... I look back at the boy who stares at me for a sec. Then he laughs and leans over the edge of the balcony, watching me fly away. Of course he's not going to follow me, because he heard, crap, I'm so stupid and rude..

* * *

The following day, I find it hard to pull myself out of bed. I can't believe last night was actually so..Disastrous...The way it played out, in small blotches of good and bad, it didn't make it seem that bad but.. One: I brought the party to a standstill by failing my act and falling, Two: Everyone saw my shorts(thankfully not anything else), Three: I think I just had my first kiss and stole one from a prince.

Good god, how much worse could life get..

Then, a ring on our doorbell.

"Karin-sama, there's a boy asking for you at the door." My maid calls. I only had 3 maids in the entire house that me, my brother, sister, and dad shared..

I stumble out of bed and manage to slip on my pants and something of shoes on my feet.

"..The hell is Jinta doing, getting me up so early.." I say, rubbing my eyes and plopping on foot down the stairs.

When I pass the maid that alerted me she whispered, "It's a light angel, they're sketchy to watch out, mistress."

My eyes widened and I ran up behind the column. It couldn't possibly be that prince from before. That's the only light angel I know..Or..Is it someone from dad's work? I inch up to the door and look through the window to the left of it. The person at the door, was not a business man. Crap, crap, crap, crap! What the hell is that stupid boy doing here...His eyes slide over and catch me staring at him. He grins slightly as I hastily turn back and clench to the door. I take a huge breath and open the door,

"Go away." I say.

And I shut the door in his face.

"Wow, you have an awfully small house here," He says, ignoring my last comment.

"I wonder if it's just as unsatisfying inside.." He pretended to whisper.

Ah, that rude brat- I calmed myself and began, "Begone from my family's property."

"Ah, cut that crap! Let me in already you inhospitable dark angel!" He beats on the door.

Dark angel? I bit my lip and forced open the door, "Look here, you! I don't know who you think you are, but this is my property- my family's property. And whether I'm a dark angel or light I am entitled to what belongs to me. Our feathers don't matter so you should shut up and get the hell out of here in five seconds or I'm-" Why was he..Staring at me? Did I...I looked down and guess what, no pants. Didn't I put on pants? What in the hell...All I see are my..Underwear! I blush and shut the door again.

After awhile he says, "There you go again, with that interesting personality of yours.." He says.

I'm glad he got my mind off of what just happened, "Yeah, how so?"

"Well, you voice your opinion and don't give a crap about people's rank or whatever...Something I could never so seeing as my position calls for me to be prince-charming...Literally," He explains.

"Well thanks for that, but I'd rather be rich and have to keep my mouth shut than a suck up who voices nothing but uneducated babble." I laugh.

"I'm quite certain if you can tick my governess off and get my mentors to yell at me for even associating myself with you, you're babble is not uneducated. In fact, it was so to the point my superiors thought I couldn't handle it." He laughs, "The look on my governess's face was priceless..."

"Will you let me in yet, It's getting hot.." He asks.

"I'm still waiting for you to go away, pervert." I say.

"How am I a pervert?"

"You just are, so shut up!" I yells.

"I'm dying of heat stroke, come on!" He slams his fist on the door.

"No!" I exclaim.

"Well then you give me not choice," He begins.

"This is rather awkward seeing as every time I've done this the girl was practically on her knees, begging for it."

My eyes widen as he begins, "Just to..Tease my governess again and all my other superiors..Would you mind accompanying me to the All Light Angels Conference two months from now?"

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

**Hi there! Again, rather short chapter. But here is where things start to heat up. From here on out things'll get spicy! Review!**

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**Love ya! Thanks for sticking with the story even though I haven't updated in so long! Updates every Wednesday until late August! **

**See ya,**

**~*RukiaRocks*~ **


	4. Timid

Timid

Tighter they pulled the string to the corset. I felt as if I was being accidentally strangled as the crushed my ribs further and further.

"Is this really necessary?" I asked the tailor.

"Just bare with it Karin," Yuzu says.

So then I bet you're wondering right about now, how I somehow say I'm a princess..But then I'm also a dancer of low placement in society. My stories contradict, right? Well actually, they're both true. My sister and I were both born into wealth; as time passed we became friends with many people - one of which turned out to be a noble. But, as fate would have it, she was lying.

Yuzu and I are both princesses of the dark realm. But as I mentioned before, we have a secret hobby. And that is professional dancing. Our friend was not of nobility, in fact she didn't even belong to the dark realm. She had painted her wings and subsequently was of the light realm. Though she did lie to us, she showed us the real world. Life in itself seemed to have a bit more meaning with her in it. And even though she was banished from both realms, we still go out secretly and witness the world we rule.

And from there, Yuzu and I happened to stumble upon a dancing teacher..This is where we began our double life. One appearance, twin princesses of the dark realm. Another, the twins born into poverty who managed to grasp at the aristocratic world by preforming in dances. That made us happy..The excitement in our lives..Returned.

Our mother was always that in our lives. The joy. However, she died... And dancing can never fill that void, but then again..I don't expect it to.

Yuzu and I have a cottage that we stay at in order to keep our image as princesses secret. That light angel boy, how did he find me? And how did I get in this situation? I'm having to buy expensive dresses with his money because he thinks I'm poor. But I have the money..So now I feel like I'm stealing..

"Yuzu tell me," I began.

She turned from looking at the gowns and muttered a 'hmm?'.

"How is it that I got in this situation? People are seriously going to start to noticing us if they see me with him..How did that boy just happen to notice me...God!" I slammed my foot on the ground, "He's going to ruin everything.."

The tailor dismissed herself as I began to Yuzu, "I screwed up...We're in up over our heads.."

She laughs and continues to look through the dresses saying, "You know, what's done is done, right? Why don't we just play our part to the end...We knew this'd happen eventually right?"

"But it didn't have to happen now.." I say.

Being with someone like a prince of the light realm would definitely put eyes on me. Then they'd get into my background and find who I really was, trace me back to Yuzu and we'd both be screwed. So what ever we do this boy gets in the way.

"I can't go to this party anyway, so why are you fitting me for a dress?" I asked.

"Because believe it our not, Karin, you need to get out more! You know why this boy picked you out. I bet it's because he thinks you're cute."

My eyes widened and I gave her a creeped out look, "As if he'd find me appealing in the least." I smile a bit.

"You know we're not kids anymore, boys have more intentions than just talking. Their definition of playing is not as it used to be, if you know what I mean." She winked at me.

"Oh shut up, think about what's you're saying." I walked up to the dresses and searched through them with her. A slim, silver dress covered in scaly sequences, reminds me of a fish...I move onto the next dress. Puffy, antebellum, yellow..Reminds me of that governess the other night. I frowned remembering her cocky aptitude. I moved onto the next.

"I mean..We're only eleven..." I mumbled.

"You know, Karin. You're move attractive than you think. Oh what am I saying, I don't even think you look in the mirror." Yuzu laughed, "Sometimes you can be so dense you know."

She pulled a dress off the rack and gasped in astonishment. I couldn't see what I looked like around her but once she sets her eyes on something, she won't let me change it. She swung the dress out and I caught a glimpse of the fabric. Glitter..Lots and lots of...Red glitter. I back up two steps.

"Ah hell no!" I say.

"Karin, you are wearing this. Especially if it's for a date."

"It's not a date. And it's two months away!" I say, avoiding her puppy eyes.

She showed me the dress and I shook my head in disapproval. "That's for a 20 year old with a model's body."

She laughs, "Quit making excuses and just try it on! It's about time you stop walking around in just your corset and short."

"About that, this thing is so tight, why do I have to wear it?" I try to reach the straps in the back, but to no avail.

"Complaints, complaints..Just try it on and be happy that you get to go a date with a prince!" She shoves me the dress.

I grab it and pull in away from my face angrily, "It's not a date!"

I walk out of the shop frustrated. It's not a date. And I don't appreciate her calling it that. Ahh! I need to blow off some steam and get out of this stupid outfit. Playing the part of a dancer in poverty, I always wore middle class outfits while shopping(because I wouldn't go out in royal clothing..If I ever did go out in the appearance of a princess..). And that includes, most of the time, dresses. I had shorts, and I wanted to wear them so bad! But Yuzu's been making me wear them day in and day out...

I winced as I felt that faint pang again that ran down my wings. The shopping bag in my hand suddenly felt so heavy. What is..What's going on with my wings?

From down the streets I saw a man walk up rather grandly, wearing black sunglasses. They had black hair and were in a suit. But surprisingly enough, as I kept walking, they did not walk by me, they stopped in front of me and through their dark glasses I could see them staring down on me. Looming over me.. This man was in his 20s.. Not a kidnapper..Not a stalker..No, his clothes didn't match the profile.

"Hello Ms." He said ominously. "If you don't mind I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"May I know who it is that's asking?"

"That's confidential, of course." He says.

"Then the answers to all your questions are confidential, of course," I say, turning and walking away. Who the hell was this guy anyway?

"Wait there miss Kurosaki! Do you have any connects to Prince Hitsugaya."

I stopped and turned around, " How do you know my last name?"

Then I caught a look at his wings. Those same feathers that are black in some places and gray in others...Like splotched..Paint! The same wings as her...They're fake! He painted them!

"You're a light angel!"

"What? That's insane I-" He lunged toward me and tied to grab me. I jumped back and spread my wings out, flying away.

What did a light angel reporter want with me? And why in the world did they care about how I was associated with him? Is it because I'm a dark angel? Or because they think there is something more to me just appearing as a favor. How did they find out in the first place. I looked in the bag to see it the dress was still in good condition. Thankfully, no harm was done.

I flew home and changed into my soccer clothes. I needed to blow off some steam.

"Wait, Kurosaki-sama!" My maid calls(obviously I was at palace, not the cottage).

I turn around, the soccer ball swinging up against my back. "What is it?"

She opens her mouth to say something but then shakes her head, "Have a great practice."

Hmm..What was that about? Oh well..

Walking down to the Soccer field, I caught wind of a scent in the air. It smelled...Burnt...The air...No, it was more musty. I didn't like it here..So I sped up and walked quickly to the fields.

* * *

"Even if you use magic to take the ball from me," I kick the ball up and hold it in my hand, "It'll always come right back."

"What's wrong? Cat got you tongues?" I asked, throwing the ball down.

I looked over all of them. Pathetic. What are they laying face down on the ground for? And why are all of them moaning? The last one left standing was panting and sweating like crazy, his hands hanging limply from his sides.

"I ain't getting beaten by a girl," He says, whipping away the sweat from his eyes.

"Give it rest, redhead," I laugh, "Soccer just doesn't seem to fit you."

"Yeah, well if it was baseball I'd kick your ass!" He said.

"Yeah well It's not. So then admit it, I'm better than you,"

"Jinta." I said.

He whipped the sweat from his brow again and spit in the dirt.

"It's not over til I say it is!" Jinta stubbornly ran again for the ball and I pulled my leg back and slammed the ball in his face.

"Quit it already! This is kinda insulting," I turned back to all the other guys, "None of you can stand up to me, seriously?"

"Pathetic," I walk over to the benches and grab water, throwing it next to each of them.

"Anyway, Good practice,"

I was..The captain of this pathetic team. And Jinta joined because he said he could beat me at anything and do whatever I could, including taking my place as the soccer captain within 3 weeks. Well he hasn't even come close. And this is the second week.

"Captain is so harsh... It's hard to believe she's some sort of princess," One boy said, finally coming to and rolling over on his back. He took the water thankfully and took a drink, proceeding to pour it all over his face.

"She's captain of the girl's and guy's teams," One boy replied, flipping over as well.

"What a kick," Another commented.

It was true; I had no talent for magic. However, they say my dark magic was fueled into my kicks...I sighed. That's why, even though people use magic all the time to take the ball from me, I excelled in strength and speed so much, I'd take it right back. It was kinda cheap I thought, they way I played. Because you're supposed to test your magic by stealing the ball quicker than others, but I actually use physical strength.

As all of my team began to slowly get up and recover from the drills, I turned around and stated, "Who here thinks, in earnest, with their current abilities they can beat me in soccer," I glared at Jinta who was about to open his mouth again, he knows he's no match for me, so I'm just giving him a heads up to think about what he's going to say. He shuts his mouth and darts his eyes away from me.

I took a new clean ball and slammed it on the ground, placing my foot on top of it, "Do you think I was made captain of both soccer teams for not reason?"

I hears 'no's and 'no mam' s and 'no couch' es scattered throughout the exasperated team.

"So then suck it up! Training with me is going to be tough, but you know what," I dragged my finger to each and everyone one of them, "Every single one of you, is going to be able to beat me. And you know why?"

I kick the ball up into a boy's hands, "Because I'm gonna train you to do it! We'll be strong together! And when Regionals comes, we're going to take home the gold!"

I seemed to be catching the attention of a lot more of them now, and they all seemed to look up to listen.

"So you know what, you can moan and cry all you want, but that's not going to make you stronger! And that's not going to make me stop what I'm doing! We will move from Regionals to State and then Nationals! Hell, we'll become a professional team! But it's not without the participation of each and every one of you! That's why we're called a team!" I say.

"So are we gonna cry? Answer damn it!"

They all reply, even Jinta rather reluctantly, "No way in hell!" With much more energized voices.

"But are we going to give it our all!" They all respond, "Hell Yeah!"

"Are we going to reach farther than ever before?"

"Hell Yeah!"

"Are we going to take home the championship trophy!"

"Hell Yeah!"

"Then grab a partner and start those drills!" I say. They all do this weird 'hip, hip, hooray' think as they yell, "Hell Yeah!" and disperse into their drills.

After I hand out all the balls, I watch them all while I sit on the bench. A cool, wet, towel was around my neck and I could feel something of a disappointment in my mind. At this rate we'll never ever get passed Regionals. No one has the determination. They all gave up so easily.

"Impressive speech, so you not only dance but you're some sort of soccer captain as well."

Oh god. That voice again..Why was it everywhere I went?

"I thought our agreement was for you not to show up until the ball, Hitsugaya-ouji-sama," I taunted.

Everyone stopped practicing to set their eyes on a rare sight for common dark angels; the white wings of a light angel. That white hair, teal eyes, those wings. Everything was probably new to the team; Everything about him reeked of royalty.

"No way..It's a.." People started whispering and I could see out of the corner of my eye Jinta had thrown the ball over to his partner.

"Well what'd ya know? We've got ourselves a little albino," "I hope my ears where mistaken when I heard Karin say that you where a prince," He said.

"Why? Does it scare you that your in the presence of royalty," He retorted.

I could feel it coming on. Someone was going to say something about me being a princess. Damn it! How does Hitsugaya keep finding me in the first place?

"No, just the fact you're a Shiro-chan scares me." Jinta laughs. Everyone does too.

That, was a slang term for the light angels. It's because of their wings, they where white as snow. Ironically though, Toshiro's hair was also white so that could be a cause of his nickname or even by his name itself 'shiro' was one of the roots.

I cross my arms and and step in front of Hitsugaya.

"If you continue to show such prejudice actions toward this light angel you'll have to deal with me," and since I was pissed by how my own team was acting just like that governess, I took a ball from the bag and flung it at Jinta's head. He caught it with ease as it still spun round in his hand, almost steaming from the intensity of the throw.

"She's got a beast throw too.." A team member commented.

"Practice is over for today. Clear out!" I said.

As everyone placed their balls in the bag I glared at Toshiro and mumbled, "This better be good, you just broke up a crucial practice.."

And when Jinta made it up in the line and was about to throw in the ball he took it in his opposite hand and, before I could stop him, he flung it at Hitsugaya's face. But it stopped, just before it hit him. I leaned back a bit to see if he's stopped it with his hand, no, then it'd be spiraling like my throw to Jinta..When I leaned back though, I couldn't believe my eyes.

Ever so slowly thick crystals of ice in cased the ball and when it had reached half way around the ball, it dropped to the ground. The ice shattered in the grass as Toshiro began, "I suggest you not try that again. Because this time, you won't have the element of surprise."

"So cool.." The guy behind Jinta said.

Jinta darted his eyes away, bit his lip, and walked off. Toshiro propped the ball up on his shoe, kicked it up, and put it in my bag.

I smirked, "You play soccer?"

" A bit. I've given it a try a few times." He whispered in my ear, " And I'm sure I can give you a run for your money."

I smiled wider, "Is that a challenge?" I asked as the last guy put his ball in.

"Actually I have to take to you about something-"

I interrupt him saying, "You're on!"

Accidentally, I swing the sack of balls to my right as I turn to face him and it whacks to boy who just put his ball in the bag.

"Oh, sorry!" I say, turning back around. Perfect, I dart my eyes back to see what happened. I had deliberately turned around in a haste so that the balls would swing and hit Toshiro. This will test his reflexes.

He instinctively leans back as the bag glides over the open air, then he comes back up as I turn back around(slower this time so I don't hit anyone).

"Put up a good fight now." I tell him.

"Just don't disappoint me," He laughs, taking off the jacket he was wearing. I don't understand why he was wearing a jacket in the middle of summer anyway! Suits don't...suit him. That was comical. He rolls his sleeves up and gestures inward, "Give me all you got, and I'll be sure to take it easy on you."

I throw the wet towel over to the side and take a ball out of the bag, dropping it on the ground.

Everything I did didn't work. I did the angel play, he countered it with opposite spin, Then he'd steal the ball and score..AGAIN! How the hell does he get a score of me so effortlessly when it's never been done by another in my entire life! I put it into air play by kicking it up high, he'll to a legal jump(I swear, it looks like he's flying! But he's not) and kick it back down. It never got past him! How?

I follow him up to my goal and steal the ball, running back to his goal. When I'm about to send my kick which would be a definite score, toward his goal, it's as if he senses what's coming a steals the ball back. It's like he's letting me take the ball for kicks..He's taking it easy on me! He hasn't even used that magic I saw earlier! Just pure strength like I do! But then, how is he still beating me?

I slid for the ball and he steals it before I can touch it! Everything I did didn't work. And out game wasn't even close! By the end of 10 minutes, the score was zero to seven. We were playing to 20 minutes.

I put my hands on my knees, panting, "How the hell did you do that?"

"I haven't even gotten warmed up," I watched the ball roll over to him.

"I'm not even getting started!" I say, getting up and facing him again, "Bring it!"

Then, all of a sudden, things seem so slow. He runs slowly with the ball, he lets me steal it so easily, he's basically walking to try and stop me from scoring. Now he's looking down on me to the point where he's not even giving it a bit of effort! He's so infuriating! He's trying to joke with me!

As he slowly caught up to me, I kicked the ball to the left and tripped him with my other.

Surprised, he kinda just fell back and didn't even catch his step.

I got down on my knees and grabbed his collar, "Listen you, don't you ever taught me like that! You give it your all!" I say.

He looks at me strangely, his eyes as wide. Don't tell me he's going to play innocent! I get even more angry as I begin, "Let's keep going with the game." I start to get up off of him when he takes my hand and flips me over. I fidget, feeling how uncomfortable it was to be loomed over. As Hitsugaya looked down over me I remember what Yuzu was saying...No way, he's not like that..

"You're not telling me something," He says.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about-"

"Isn't it strange. I researched your sir name and found it to be the exact same as the royal families. And though it might have been a coincidence, I came here are one of your team mates called you a princess," He said. Snap, I shouldn't told him my name!

"That's..Just a nickname-"

"Just tell the truth already," He says, "You where on of the princesses of the dark realm! And you never told me!"

It's amazing how small you feel when someone's on top of you. It makes you feel helpless. I don't say anything and avoid eye contact.

"If you would, please don't tell anyone..." I request.

"What's there to tell?" He says.

"I'll give you a different sir name and background before we go to the ball so that you won't get figured out so easily.."

You mean..He's trying to help me?

"I'm still going to the ball?" Is all I can think to say. I mean, If he figured out I was a princess, the right minded person wouldn't have anything to do with me. Especially because of our wings..

"Well you just spent 2,000 dollars on the dress, so,"

"You already checked the tab?" I said in dismay.

"I believe it's red, right," He was talking about the dress.

I ignore what he says and begin, "Thanks.." "For keeping it secret. Not just for me, but for my sister.."

He doesn't answer. And as I get up I say, "Let's get the game started."

"No wait, you just reminded me, I have to tell you-"

And then I could feel it again. That sting of pain down my wings. Only it was much worse. I could say it was excruciating and I wouldn't be kidding. What was going on with my wings. I flung them out violently as the pain rushed down through each feather. I could feel my feathers flying out from the sudden movement. And then my wings came in again as the pain faded a bit.

"Is something wrong?"

"Hell something's wrong! My wings hurt you ass!" I say, falling down on my knees.

"Didn't you go to a doctor to get those checked out?" His eyes then glanced at my leg which was not bandaged a second time since Yesterday or even properly re-wrapped.

"You didn't even have your maids redress your wound!"

"Oh lay off it, just tell me what you where going to say and stay out of my business.." He walks over to me and holds the tip of my wings.

I let out a little yelp, wincing, and my wings instinctively shake from the pain.

"That can wait. You need to go to a doctor."

"Wait, what're you-" He takes me up in his arms and starts to carry me over into the town.

"The hell're you doing, let me down!"

"You'll just run if I do that." He says. Well, he's right about that...He was smart to carry me in the first place. So? I'm gonna make him put me down.

I kick around and thrash in his arms.

"Cut it out!" He says, "I might drop you."

"That's the idea," I say.

"Stop it!" He says.

"Put me down! I-" And I'm surprised then by what happens following this. He stops and presses his lips against mine. What in the world? What is he doing? I stop thrashing and widen my eyes. I think I'm having me..First kiss... I felt something like butterflies in my stomach. Why in the world..Would I ever feel that? I try for a little bit to fight it, but as the air to my lungs fades, I can't to anything but close I my eyes and let it happen. Fighting takes most of your air from you..When was he going to...Stop? I had time to think about it, what his aura felt like. When angels kiss, they can feel the magical aura around the other. His, was winter. Snow. Ice. Cold...But his lips where definitely the opposite. Warm..Soft..Passionate? Wait..Why the hell was I analyzing this situation?

And when he finally pulls away, I'm out of breath and all I can do is pant, "Why..Did..You do that?"

He keeps walking and chuckles a bit, "They always stop struggling after you kiss them.."

Ah! That little- I slap him in the back of the head, "You just stole my first kiss you pervert, idiot, cocky, brat!"

"You sure put up a tough fight..I didn't know girls like you cared about things like a first kiss," He said while dodging my punches.

I stopped and blushed, "Sh-shut up.." I said, looking away.

"I'll be back tomorrow then.." He says after awhile.

"What? Oh no, you've already screwed up my life enough-"

"I still haven't told you.." He began, "What I needed to say.." This he said, with a serious expression. What was it that was so important? Did it concern the reported.

The suddenly Toshiro stopped. I could feel it too. Someone was nearby. And then out from the trees a dagger is sent straight for me. As I see the blade coming closer and closer I just don't know what to think. Why the hell am I being assassinated now..I mean, there're a lot of people in this world that hate me but..Why now?

Then I watch the silver stop in mid air, a spot of blue..Something blue..Spreads out. It was ice! Just as Toshiro did before. He set me down and began, "Looks like I'll have to do some explaining before that..."

He took his and and faced it toward the ground and in his hand..A sword made of ice formed. He grabbed it and stood in front of me.

"Let's get this party started." He laughs.

"Such a boring way to fight, get out here and face me," He began.

"Alice angels!"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Nothin' really... Just a shout out to meggie-moo s who gave my story a shout out. As a girl of my word, everyone read JACKEDUP FAIRYTALE plz! Thanks! Review review review! **

**Reviewers to thank:**

**Blueberry Absinth**

**Tobiyuki**

**meggie-moo s**

**keroneko13**

**yellowbutterfly93**

**Thanks,**

**~*RukiaRocks*~ **


	5. Godly

Gods

"Alice angels?" I asked.

"As dubbed by the light angel queen herself," Hitsugaya began, "I cannot get into the details at this moment..But what I can tell you must most definitely be kept a secret. And I must apologize for pulling you into this.."

He looked around cautiously, sword still poised in the air and ready to cut. But after moment, he seemed to decide nothing was going to happen, so he continued.

"Alice angels are traced back as descendants of the light angels. They had a slightly sullied white feathers. Ranging anywhere from beige to dapple gray, they where once known as the gray angels though they where most commonly known as dirt angels. Rumors spread that gray angels where a cross between dark and light, however, with the act of mating between the two impossible, this was not the cause for the gray angel's birth. Somewhere along those lines the gray angels' wings began to change. And eventually they where decided to be a completely different species from light or dark angels. In fact, those who have seen them claim them to be gods. This is because Alice angels,"

The suddenly, out from the trees, someone jumped down. They landed on one knee and look up. It was...A man...Black hair...A dark angel? But when I searched for wings my eyes widened.

"Barely have any traces of wings." Hitsugaya finished.

"I'm surprised you put so much effort into researching our species. What, you light angels taking back on calling us dirt?" The man spoke, though his voice was rather bored and uncaring. As if he really was just uninterested in everything.

"So is that why you didn't attack me the whole time?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Oh no, I was just having fun listening. History is my favorite subject, you know?" So silent, I hadn't noticed. A girl had jumped down behind me. Blond hair but..I don't believe it..NO WINGS.

"They don't.." I started to panic, "..Have any wings...They're...Not.." I started to crawl away from the girl at my feet, closer to Hitsugaya.

"We're not angels. We get it, bla bla bla..Are we gods? How should we know? Can you just let us do are job so we can be done here?" The man asks.

"That's not entirely true, Kurosaki. Look closer and focus carefully. They may think their gods because their wings are less noticeable but," Hitsugaya let me fill in the blanks as I squinted at the man in front of me. Sure enough...It looked like a bubble in the sun light. How the only way to tell it's there is by the faint shadows it gives off and the glinting rainbows on it's surface. That's what I saw. The outline of what looked like..The wings of a dragonfly. Slender, transparent, and barely there, only viewable by the rainbow colors that glittered among the patterned hexagons that made the wing's shape.

I started to relax a bit, seeing he indeed had wings. And when I glanced behind me, it was the same for the girl, except her wings where not folded behind her back..And they where much bigger and bolder. They, however, looked like butterfly wings. Which would pretty much say that Alice angels' wings resembled a certain bug's wings.

"We never thought we where gods. You regular angels came up with that one," He girl said.

I managed, despite the pain in my wing, to hoist myself up so that I was covering Hitsugaya from behind. This way the girl wouldn't get to him. Though it was apparent she had seen through my act by how I panted just a bit to much and by my occasional flicker of my eyes, that I was in no condition to fight and that I didn't intend to.

"If you've come to bring me back again, I refuse." Hitsugaya said to them. What does that mean? Bring him back? Does that mean they are going to kidnap him? What are these angels anyway? I can't deny the fact they exist because they're standing in front of me. And if Hitsugaya was saying sorry to me for dragging me into things..Does that mean he's in some sort of trouble? Or that I'll be in some sort of trouble? Did he know from the start that this was a possibility? That what's happening right now, could be happening at anytime?

"You know, you're not the only one out there who we've been commissioned to take to Alice. In fact, the minute Alice saw that girl at the party, she found her quite a bit more favorable." The girl in front of me said.

Back to Alice? Is that where the name Alice angels came from? So then..Is Alice a person, or a place? Hell is it a thing? What do they want me for?

"So now they want to turn her into one of you too? I suspected as much. So the old hag has given up on me?" Hitsugaya replied. Old hag? Turn me into one of them? Into an Alice angel? And he knew this would happen? Why in the world did he involve himself with me in the first place. Or perhaps, was it because he saw I was going to be targeted anyway and stayed close to help? What in the world is..Going on?

"You don't seem to understand. We're not playing 20 questions. Can you just leave her and go? No..Of course not. Because she's yours now. And you're not about to let anything that belongs to you to be taken by us. Isn't that right?" The man asked. From his side, I could see a sheath, with a sword inside it..Though he only put his hand on the sheath and let the blade poke out a bit in the fresh air, it was enough to make Hitsugaya and I tense up.

The man was dressed in atrocious attire. Which didn't really bother me in least, but there was something about the way that he stood as well that reminded me of something... His light blue sweat pants where low and below his waistline. And then also, a white t-shirt. But besides that..He looked really as though he's just fallen out of his bed and rushed over here. He looked...Far older than me..17? 18? In which case..He'd still be a student. What is he doing sleeping at this hour? Shouldn't he be studying for entrance exams?

The sword on his waist, connected to the belt, was the only thing that stood out. Black. Everything was black. The sheath, belt, hilt, the guard; even the grip was lased with black string. But it was slightly different from the sword my brother used in his classes. Because that blade was not black, rather, it was just like any other blade, but I could see something red glinting on it's surface. On the top of the hilt there was a single red gem as well...Could what I see that is red be blood..or perhaps part of the blade?

"On the contrary, I just don't take a liking to seeing damsels in distress being kidnapped. But of course-" I stopped Hitsugaya by taking my hand and slapping the back of his head.

"Who's the damsel in distress?" I yell.

"You really do obsess over the details..." He says rubbing his head.

It takes me a second to sum up the courage, but when I take a deep breath and brush away for a moment, the pain of my wings, I begin with a strong voice, "Look here, you people are like so professional kidnappers or something, right? So then you've probably realized that people like me or Hitsugaya. No, anyone in the right mind, would fight some random people who happened to come along, throwing daggers at them. So really then, what's the point in talking," I darted my eyes from the girl, back to where the man stood, "Besides, didn't one of you say you wanted to get your jobs done quickly?"

"She's quite the feisty one, right Kaede?" The girl asked, trying to hold back a giggle. She took a dagger out of the leather holders on her mini skirt. She twirled the knife in her finger and licked her lips.

"People like you just don't know what they're asking for..." The man whispered to himself.

And in and instant, Hitsugaya mutters, "Ah Shit," And he quickly turns around, but it's two late. I blinked, and before I knew it, standing between Hitsugaya and I, hovering over me, was the guy. And on the other side, was the girl.

"We are professionals. That's why we take out time. Because we know you wouldn't even have time to struggle," I hear in my ear. And I glare back at the girl, my eyes wide, what did she mean by that.

Suddenly, I'm lifted up into the air and the guy has picked me up and is caring me in his arms. Then in the instant, once again, I blink, and we're flying in the air. I look behind me, and Toshiro is just standing, frozen there, facing the wrong way. Why was that? Why is it that there seems to be a time glitch when I open my eyes?

"No fair! Why does she get to be carried?" The girl squealed as she followed behind the man. The was their wings flapped was totally different that any angel. Dark and light angels could glide in the air for 5 seconds before flapping their wings a second time. But the girl's wings seemed to beat twice in a second. And the man, his wings where flapping so fast I could see nothing but a blur of gray that passed up and down.

Why was I being so cooperative? Why wasn't I struggling? I'm so stupid.

I take my feet and kick repeatedly in the air, but the way the man had been holding me prevented my legs from hitting anything at all... Well then..now that my best way of getting free was gone, I'll just have to force my way out. Which wasn't really too hard. The man wasn't holding me tight, in fact, I kinda just...was there. He didn't bother to hold me in the least, I was simply on his arms, and he held them in that position. He didn't bother to look down at me, he simply looked ahead. The hell was he doing?

Well I don't want to stick around to find out!

I took my hands and pushed myself off him and then, just at the perfect moment. The pain to my wings kicks in and..They go stiff...They don't move, and when I glance back at them, I can't believe what I'm seeing. They where simply frozen in the outstretched position. They quivered and shook as feathers flew out left and right. When did the condition of them become so bad?

But then, when I blink again, I'm in the guys arms, only, in a slightly different position. This time, he held me a bit more carefully.

"If you're not careful I might not be able to blink fast enough next time," He says.

Blink? Is that is ability?

He stares on, his bright red eyes never looking at me, ever. He's ignoring me. Am I just an item for his job? How dare he-!

"Why didn't you fly?" He asks.

I stop, and my fists stop tensing. Does he even care? I contemplate not hitting him.

"You don't have to answer. I'm just wondering if they're injured," He specifies.

"Why, is it part of your job?" I ask.

He doesn't answer.

I stop staring at him and dart my eyes away, I look at the girl behind us for a moment and focus on her.

"We where..On the way to the doctor when you guys came.." I said hesitantly.

Ok now I'm pissed off! Why isn't he responding?

I focus on the girl again and act just as cold. What is up with him?

The girl had short blond hair that with bangs that reached just above her blue eyes. Her outfit, made her look as though she was a model. A black mini skirt with a black and hot pink corset. Then, leather gloves that where kept together by hot pink threads that ran in a zig zag pattern up to where the gloves stopped above her elbows. But what was odd about the gloves..What that the fingers on each one of them where cut off so that her unprotected fingers hung out in the open air...

As time starts to pass..I get rather bored and resort to picking at my fingernails to relieve this. I wasn't going to talk. And I wasn't going to struggle. Not until we hit the ground. That's when I can use my feet to get out.

So I was quite surprised when we landed in the middle of the western forest in the light realm. What where they doing? Is there some sort of secret realm here or something?

The man set me up against the tree and walked away. What, was he trusting me to stay put. No, the girl was watching me now, I couldn't run if I tried. The guy fiddled with a few plants and resorted to picking a spiky leaf off of one of them.

"Hana." He called.

The girl sighed and snagged the leaves from his hand. She took her knife and jabbed it in one of the huge roots of the tree. She did that over and over until something of a hole was in it. Then she set the leaves into is and twisted her knife around, mashing the the leaves down with the hilt. Was she making...Medicine?

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"What else, making crap for your wings. God I hate being a maid. We should just keep flying.." The girl mumbles.

But..Why would they even care about me.. "Aren't you people supposed to be..I don't know..Mean and cruel..Covering my eyes and mouth with blind folds and saying nasty things to me?" I asked.

"We put on that act so that the prince would get off our backs," The girl began, "Since we tried to get him, as a child, to help us. He's very prejudice and refuses us, even when it's not him we're taking. That's the result of the way his realm warped him."

"The Alice angels don't exist in definition and in fact, royalty such as yourself, have no knowledge of us," The girl continued.

"You knew..I was a princess?" I asked.

"Well yeah, because that's our job...The dark and light realms refuse to give the Alice angels a realm of their own or even acknowledge their existence...So Kaede and I figured the adults are just corrupt and don't want change. However, if we went to the future leaders, maybe they could have a thought or two and help us out with our troubles..That's why you would've been chosen anyway, because you where a princess. And as soon as that prince back there realized that, he knew he'd put you in danger by coming into contact with you," She explained.

"If you really do have such pure intentions, why did you throw a dagger at me?" I questioned.

She smiled nervously and twirls her knife before getting back to work, "I'm still a high school student..So I'm not that good with knives...I guess you could say it was a slip of the fingers."

"So you are both doing this without the consent of a high up...So this is just a plan that occurs behind the scenes...Why did you make it seem like you where part of a big organization with Hitsugaya?" I asked.

"Because that boy does not deserve to know about us. A while back, when I was about 10, we told Hitsugaya about what was going on because we thought he was a friend. But he immediately relayed that information to his parents who instantly slid lies into his mind. Hitsugaya was a brilliantly smart child at the time...So we believed we could trust him. However, on that day we lost our good friend. And that's where we got our idea. If we don't clear things up, the adult will cloud the other's minds and The Alice realm will never come to be," Hana said.

She stopped mashing the leaves and whipped her knife off with dirt off the ground.

"We're not as bad as you'd thing we are. Right, Kaede?" She swings the knife in her pocket and looks up at the man. He doesn't respond and she laughs from this.

He walks over to where Hana was sitting and watches as she clears out. When he sits in front of the root, he motions me over.

"Come here." He says.

Carefully, I crawl my way over to where he was. Even if I where to run away now...What's the point? They've told me this much already. If they where planning on doing something bad to me, why would they be healing my wings.

"Turn around," He commands.

I fold my wings back and slide myself around. When I glance back, I can feel a pinch on the tip of my wings. The guy had grabbed it and held on while he dipped the fingers of his other hand in the green goop.

The girl squatted down in front of me and put her hands on her cheeks, "What's it today, doc?"

As he sutured my wings I shivered a bit. Not really by how cold the medicine was; in fact, it wasn't cold at all. But by the way his fingers so carefully slide between the ridges of each feather, down to the skin. And really, it didn't hurt when he touched my wings..It rather tickled.

"It's called Arielnuman's flight. A rare Arthritis of the wings, causing such things to become stiff periodically and the nerve endings and skin of the wings to go wild periodically," He begins, "Do you fly often?"

"No..Not really..I'm on my feet more so..." I admit.

"Then you should keep your wings more active. This was likely caused by a sudden attempted at flying at a very fast speed. But just because it isn't the actually disease doesn't mean the real thing will appear with time," He says.

Wow. That's the most he's talked since Hitsugaya was around. But it was true, I hadn't been using my wings often, in fact, not even in my dances. But when I was falling, and I strained to try and fly, right after that what when I felt the pain. And even more so after I tried to run from Hitsugaya at the party.

"He's studying to become a doctor," Hana informs me.

He pulls one of my wings to the side and gets set on another on. While he's at it, I fumble with my other one and flap it up and down gleefully. It didn't hurt! I flapped my wings in as I stroked them a few times, "I need to treat you better next time," I whisper.

Hana stares at my wings, her eyes wide and curious, "Your wings are so pretty!" She compliments.

I look at my mangled wings, the feathers all pushed in different directions and the green medicine sapping from their pathetically frail skins. Is this girl blind? My wings are a mess..And there no where near pretty! On the other hand, her wings. I watched as their translucent film glistened in the moon light as the pale rainbow outline of them was visible.

I really wasn't one to compliment..But I couldn't help it, "Your wings are beautiful! Look at them."

She tilted her head strangely and gave me a funny look, glancing back at her own butterfly wings. She laughed and rolled her eyes, "People always want what they can't have, right?"

I giggle a bit too but am cut short by the shiver of another drip of medicine to my wings.

"But you can't take me to Alice if no one know what you're doing," I say. But then I stop myself. How would I know that? What if Alice is a place? I'd be stupid if it was..

"Well yeah, but that's just what we told Hitsugaya..We're just going to tell you a bit about us and return you in the morning. If all goes well we'll be back next week..And I suppose we'll keep having little camping trips to tell you about what's going on in our world," She explains.

My eyes widen. No way! Do they expect me to just go willingly with them every week? That's just unrealistic..But then, they have knifes and everything..I have nothing really..So they could use force at anytime. This means they really just want to tell me about stuff..Nothing else, really. So what's the point in not giving them a chance..I have nothing to do anyway..

"Alright...But on Wednesdays I have soccer practice, and we have to cancel if I have a party, meeting, or dance gig at any time. We should probably do 5 on Mondays or some other weekday.." I offer.

The guy stops stroking the medicine through my wing, and the girl stares at me wide eyed, "So you're just going to go with it..Not ask questions..Struggle..Yell?" Hana asks.

"No." I respond.

"You're really trusting then, you know that...I like that in people..But it'll become a weakness if you're not a bit more cautious..." Hana admitted.

Trusting? How am I?-

"Flap your wings a few times," The guy instructs.

Why does he keep ordering me around? Aggravated, I flap my wings in so that I'd hit him and get all the medicine on his face, but then again, when I blink, he's gone.

"That wasn't a nice thing to do. You almost got my shirt dirty," He says, rather bored and uninterested.

And I doubt that would've made a difference. You're already a mess, bedhead.. I glare at him.

"I suppose I trust you because of your personality. You're way to too open and personal to be a kidnapper. That guy over there might be sketchy," I nod my head in the man's direction, "What with him being a slob and all..But otherwise, you're just too nice to not be trusted," I admit.

Somehow the girl get's teary eyed and she pulls me in for a hug, I looked down at her, surprised.

"I knew there was something about you I liked! This way the Alice angels might have a chance!" She says excitedly.

"Slob?" The guy mumbles to himself.

I grin and continue, "But that guy, he might be some sort of rapist or something. I mean, look at him. He doesn't even have to means to care for himself," He better pay so attention to me now.

"Kaede isn't a rapist! I just woke him up early!" Hana informs me.

"Kaede take night classes so he's sort of nocturnal. So I technically woke him up in the middle of the night," She says.

I scale over his image. That would make sense..He's hair is all ragged, and he probably just put on a shirt and pants then rushed over to help Hana.

"Ever though these are his only sleep hours, he agreed to help me come get you because of that small chance you'd believe us! He's a really nice guy, honest! Not a rapist," She says in Ernest. Does she really think I believe him to be a rapist? Is she really that dense?

"It was just a joke. It's because he's been so cold and hasn't looked at me this whole time," I try to encourage her that it was just a jest by pointing to him, "Look, he refuses to look at me, see?"

"Do you want him to look at you?" Hana asked curiously. And the way she asked made it seem like I actually cared what he thought as if...I was obsessed with him or something...What was the word..

"Are you Yuzu or Karin?" Hana asked.

She doesn't know which dark angel princess I am? Talk about not researching your victim. But then, sense I'm not really being kidnapped, it's logical for her to not research because she's not an actual kidnapper..

"Karin." I say.

She puts her hands on my shoulders and looks me in the eye seriously, "Karin then," "Do you like Kaede?"

"W-what?" How in the world could she just come out and ask something so stupid. I just met the guy, there's not way I...

So then why am I blushing again?

"So you do! I do too! Now I'll have another person to talk to about him," Hana squeals happily.

"Another?" I ask.

"Believe it or not, Kaede is popular with the ladies. If you caught him when he wasn't just awaking, he's actually really wild looking and cool! But I guess you fell for him even in his sleep state," She says.

The guy doesn't really comment, but I shake my head and clarify, "No, I don't like him, Hana. I just met him. I'm just not..comfortable with those topics," I admit.

"No, you like him!" Hana tightens her grip on my shoulders, "I just know it!"

She's rather...dense..Right? Or am I the one that's dense-

"My classes start at 8. We don't have much time," The man says suddenly snagging my hand and pulling me up in his arms again.

"Don't brainwash her into liking me like you did with all your friends, Hana," He says, lifting off into flight.

She tags behind whining, "I didn't tell them a thing!" She crosses her arms and pokes out her bottom lip, "Look at how negative you've been being around Karin. It's hard to believe you're my brother."

My eyes widened..They're..Siblings...But then..She likes him...Is that..Legal? And if...She likes him and he's not arguing about it..Are they..Together? Holy crap that's gross!

I push away from the guy immediately and drop toward the ground. My wings, a bit sore, started to automatically flap a few times. And finally, I was in the air. I hope that guy doesn't do that blink thing again, otherwise I can just keep gliding.

And sure enough, all he does is stare at me. He and Hana. What, was there something weird about the way I was flying?

But then suddenly I slammed into something. It wasn't a tree. No, I was too high up..So then..What in the world was this...

When I look up, it's rather strange because it's yet another person I don't know. But he's flying...So he has to have wings. But when I search for them, in the moonlight I can't believe what the rainbows reflect...Transparent angel wings. But..Aren't Alice Angels' wings the wings of bugs? Or..Is this person different somehow. And then..If they're here..Does that mean I'm in some sort of Alice angel territory? Why is he out roaming freely when Alice angels aren't suppose to be seen..Buy wait, what am I saying..Hana never said that, she only said that they technically don't exist.. I'm hovering over the middle of a huge forest canopy, so could it be that all Alice angels live below..it's not as if it's impossible. Light angels don't typically go camping this deep into the area..

The person was a boy about my age. 12 or perhaps a bit taller than me, though he didn't tower over me like Kaede. He had blonde hair that, you could say, was cut for a young child(which, I suppose, some would say he is). Bangs, and cut just below the ears. Though it was apparent he didn't quite take care of it because it flipped out at the bottom and a strand of it poked out from the top of his head. He had..Radiant red eyes and a button nose..So cute...Like a little toy..

When I flew away from him, I looked back at Hana and Kaede to see if they could tell me who he was, but all they where doing, was bowing down to them, on their hands and knees, in mid air.

"What in the world is an angel like this doing here?" The guy asked. His voice was rather mature and surprisingly wild and assertive at the same time.

"We apologize, Prince Ion," Hana said.

Prince, I glance at the guy again. He's a prince? And Ion? As in 1000 years? The hell would you name a kid that? Do the Alice Angels have a prince, even though they have no realm to call their own.

The boy glares at me, "You're not surprised by my wings. How much do you know on Alice angels, woman." He's sharp. Woman?

"How dare you address me that way! Is that how a so called prince should act?" I snap, but then cover my mouth. Why am I so impulsive.

"Who do you think you are? You look like an everyday school girl, so how dare you tell a prince how to act!" He retorts.

That's it. I don't know why but this guy is really starting to piss me off, "You know, you're not the only royalty in this world!"

And he catches onto what I said. And then I remember that Hana and Kaede are suppose to bring me here, so I cover my mouth again.

"You're...A princess?" He says reluctantly, as if trying not to acknowledge the fact..

He immediately turns to Hana and Kaede, "You dragged a dark angel princess to our hide out?"

"We're sorry, sir!" They bow, obediently.

"Sir, if possible, we'd like to take her to Alice, sir. She as offered to receive ideas on starting an Alice realm," Kaede says. Offered? More like forced..

"Lies. She's just another assassin like all the others! You both should know that!" He said angrily.

"Now the best thing to do is to erase her memories!" He commanded.

My what?

"No, Karin and I where just becoming go friends!" Hana jumped up and grabbed my arm protectively.

"Friends? So now you're associating yourself with them?" He asks.

Hana look away nervously, back to Kaede.

I try to come up with something..So that Hana and Kaede wouldn't be punished. Some sort of good excuse..

"Fine then, if you refuse to let me speak to Alice..Then...I'll have to.." What am I saying..Where am I taking this conversation?

He's a prince..So he should be in a castle right...I'll use that.

"Where were you going, before we came along," I asked.

"Excuse me?" He questioned.

"Obviously you where flying somewhere when I ran into you, so where was it you where headed?" I specified.

He gasped and darted his eyes away nervously, "No where in particular...And it's none of your business!"

"Then our presence here is none of your business," I need to find something that will distract him so the others and get away..

"why you.." He glares at me angrily.

"Karin, I think it's best we give up for now...I'll come back and get you again after your memories are erased!" Hana encourages.

"You'll be in jail by that time!" The prince says.

Hana looks away again. She was hoping I wouldn't hear that. Kaede..Wasn't talking. He didn't speak for a long time. But it seemed as though he was counting to himself. Because I thought I heard him say the number '5'... He was counting down because after that I hear '3'.

Then almost ominously, I heard 1. And I was expecting something to happen. Which in fact, something did. I could feel it again. The pang in my wings. And it hurt so much, I could also feel them stiffening all the was through. And immediately I skyrocketed toward the surface. It felt excruciating..So why was it..That I was more worried about falling than the pain itself..

Then, of course, though I didn't know who it was, I was caught..The prince was the closest to me..but then Kaede and blink..And Hana had a hold on me from the beginning so she might not have let go..

But when I open my eyes, it's strange..I think I see..that..Someone's grabbed on of my arms, and someone else has grabbed the other so that I'm hanging in the air.

"You.." I hear that voice again. It's so oddly familiar..Who does it belong to?

"I haven't seen this face in quite some time," I hear the prince say.

So when my eyes flicker open, it's almost like I can see the invisible sparks of tension between them. On my left, Hitsugaya, his teal eyes darting from the prince's face to Hana's and then to Kaede's. And on my right, The prince..Why the hell did he try and catch me in the first place...He stared at Hitsugaya with the same intense red glare.

He said..I haven't seen this face in awhile..So..Do they know each other..

"I'm sorry, Kurosaki..It took me awhile to catch up. But I had to find some friends," And then, when I glance behind him..I see them..Thousands of light angels, their white wings flapping almost simultaneously. Why did he go to such lengths just to get me back? A dark angel..

"I'll be taking her back now, thank you," Hitsugaya began to the prince.

"She never told me she was involved with you. In that case, I'd be happy to let her go, however, since a traitor such as yourself is present, she must be something of an importance to you, am I wrong?" The prince asks.

"What if she is?" Hitsugaya questions back.

"Well all the more reason to keep her here. I'm sure then, you might try to atone for your treasonous actions. And maybe I'll give you your girlfriend back then." He grins evilly. Girlfriend? Sense when am I anyone's girlfriend? When have I ever liked someone in the first place?

"So then, I suppose I'll have to take her back with force, as I suspected," Something Icy began to leak from Hitsugaya..Almost like a frosty mist..

"No matter how many light angels you bring, they'll still be no match for even one of the Alice," He says again.

"Wait, Hitsugaya, it's ok! I need to talk to them about something and-"

"What did they tell you? Are they trying to build an Alice realm? That's a lie, Kurosaki," Hitsugaya responds.

"No, you've been lied to," I try to reason.

"You don't understand, do you? They brought you here because you're they're food!" He replied.

What? I didn't understand..I looked to where Hana and Kaede now stood. I looked for some sort of guidance, but they didn't answer..Where they lying to me?

"That's right, woman. The reason the realms refuse to acknowledge Alice angels is because," I hear the prince begin. And when I look toward him, he smiles with his mouth open.

And two white pearly fangs peak out from either side of his grin.

"Alice angels are the Vampires of your world."

* * *

**Author's Notes: Woah! Where did those last 6k words come from? I think I just made all that up in 2 hours.. :P like it? Hate it? Review review review!**

**Reviewers to thank:**

**Blueberry Absinth**

**meggie-moo s**

**yellowbutterfly93**

**Only 3 reviewers..That...Disappoints me just a bit..I don't know how to respond to that at the moment..So I'll just not comment...**

**Love ya,**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**


	6. Unlucky Girl

Unlucky Girl

"I'll ask you once more; let go of Kurosaki and leave quietly," Hitsugaya orders, his eyes blazing. Not because he wanted to save me, so much as this was a contest. I was a prize really. And Hitsugaya and the prince where fighting over me. The winner; is stronger than the other. I was just thrown in as a bonus. I could tell because, neither of them looked at me, they just tried to stare each other down. Those scarlet red eyes versus those ever icy blue eyes. They each threatened the other and forced a sense of submission in their direction. It was as if I was not even there. As if these boys where not even holding me but rather, clashing swords. Did they..Know each other?

Vampires? You mean those mythical creatures? But even if that is true, I really couldn't bring myself to hate Alice angels for not reason. If Toshiro says I was there food, why didn't they just eat me in the first place? And why did the prince freak out so much at the sight of me; if I was food, it would've welcomed me with open arms. When he says vampires, I don't think that means for the other angels to be their food, no, what I saw in his eyes was a sense of pride for being an Alice angel. And Toshiro, who so challenged his race with the idea of them being monsters, he was the enemy. And Toshiro, if he had a level enough head, he would've realized this as well, being highly educated royalty, it's standard profiling. But the rage or misguided lies that the royal family provided him with, they were his drive. And regardless of whether he was previously friends with Kaede and Hana or not, he knew one thing; his family could be trusted more than friends, and that simple logic probably led to his full believability in everything the light angels told him.

But then again, who am I to judge him? I don't even know these people...And perhaps I'm being too trusting by taking their side, but he's totally out of it, you can tell. His theory has so many holes, yet he fails to see them all. So I suppose I could say, at this point, I don't trust either person who is trying to save me. This is because I don't know either of them. And perhaps also..Because I don't want to believe this sudden change in my life. This absolute twist and defiance of everything I know to be true..

"You don't seem to be reacting the way I expected, woman," The princes says, ignoring Toshiro's warning.

"Did you expect me to gasp and scream?" I laugh, a bit frightened by his intense gaze. It felt like..He was laughing at me and yet...It felt young and vibrant. Adolescent yet paralyzing. Because his eyes where so beautiful, just as Hitsugaya's are. Is there something about princes or something that makes them look so unique? Cause I'm pretty dull when you compare me to them..

"You're not appalled in the slightest, interesting. Your claim on helping up establish a new realm might prove to be worth looking into," The prince admits. Immediately Hana's face brightens up as she smiles at Kaede who also seems to be relieved that they have escaped trouble and that I have been deemed worthy of an audience.

"What is he talking about," Hitsugaya began, "What where you going to do?" He asked me.

Somehow I feel like I betrayed him..But somehow I feel as though he's trying to control me, Hitsugaya, I mean. I am...In control of my own fate. And whether he likes it or not, I intend to help these people. If that turns out to be a bad decision, so be it. I'll learn on my own knowledge, not blindly follow his tales. So stop it..Stop looking at me with those betrayed eyes...

"Kaede," The prince began.

"Sir," He said standing up.

"Rangiku," Hitsugaya states.

A woman from the crown steps forward and crouches down, "Ready," She says.

And all at the same time, Hitsugaya and the prince fly backward and leave me falling. But immediately after that the woman and Kaede rush down and catch me again.

"What's up?" Kaede asks to the woman.

"Nothing much," She says.

"What's happening?" I asked.

"The princes are fighting," Kaede explains.

"So they're finally resuming this fight," Rangiku laughs.

"Though last time in was Hinamori we where holding up," Kaede smiled.

These two seemed almost like friends..Not enemies..So why is it that...

Hitsugaya held his hand out in the air and a think sword of ice and water formed in his grasp.

"Kaede," The prince called again.

"Sir." He says.

And without even trying to apprehend him, the woman watches as Kaede slides his sword off his belt and tosses it to the prince. Wait..How is it the prince knows his name when just a second ago..They acted like they didn't know each other?

The princes caught the black sword and unsheathed it's blade so that the silver metal made a sharp slitting noise as to came out of the sheath and into the moonlight. The sword was indeed something to behold. Black guard, hilt, and grip. A single ruby red gem at the end of the grip, and a line of glimmering red blade down the center of the metallic sword. It looked as though it shimmered like that of thousands of melted rubies..This sword was indeed, blood red. Even when it had not even touched a soul.

The prince pull the sword in near his center as Hitsugaya pull his to his side. And in a flash they where connected in front of me. The two blades screeching as the two tried to over power the other. Hitsugaya was the first to disconnect and at that moment they both jump back. Fighting air battles was hard, I could barely do it, so why did it seem like second nature for them?

"You're skills haven't changed," Toshiro says, bringing his sword back to it's starting position.

"I could say the same for you," The princes said, smiling a bit and also bring his sword back to center.

"So tell me then, why did you bring so many light angels if you where planning to fight me one on one?" The prince asks as they collide again.

"Well who's to say you wouldn't have done the same in my situation," Hitsugaya says.

The princes frowns and darts his eyes back to me. And from there it's almost like slow motion. He pulls his blade back and kicks Hitsugaya, succeeding in dazing him for a second. And in that moment he does not hesitate to fly straight for me. And in and instant, he swipes me from both Kaede and the woman's grasp. And as we continue to fly, in the angle I'm facing I can see Kaede and Hana following. But the woman, she just stands and stares at us as we fly away. Does she seriously intend to do nothing? But then I notice, that the prince is looking back as well. With a somewhat unsatisfied look on his face he tosses me backward. I'm spiraling in the air a few times before Kaede catches me again.

"Where are you all taking me, Hana?" I ask.

She glances away and doesn't respond.

"To Alice's Empire," the prince informs.

I look in his direction as he continues, "We'll discuss everything there."

* * *

"Alright. So let me get this straight," I began, sitting across from the prince. He, had changed into a plain t-shirt and pants. He was sitting cross legged on the couch with a wet towel put on is shoulder. Then in the chair to my left, Hana sat. And to my right, Kaede.

"You pretended not to know Kaede in front of me because I was an outsider. But because I knew Hitsugaya you suddenly decided I was more than an outsider, in fact an enemy, and deliberately showed that you knew him? What kind of logic is that?" I asked.

"Oh shut up and listen," He says.

"We've had a long lasting background with that prince. In fact at one point he and I where best friends," The princes began.

Well that makes sense..

He continues, "However, things got a bit messy. And since we where 6, he's been my enemy. And well, the enemy of the Alice Empire for not agreeing to make the Alice angels a new realm..."

"Hitsugaya has lost his ability to help us. The adults have already reached him. But you can still help!" Hana exclaims.

"I can what?" I question.

"It seems as though you are of substantial status in the dark angel world. But since you where and outsider, I immediately rejected you because you could have easily been an assassin. But after Hitsugaya came, it confirmed that not only did you know him, but also that you where being rescued and that evidently you could not have been and assassin. From that logic, I chose to reveal that I knew Kaede," The prince explains.

"We think..If you can help us, you might even be able to help Hitsugaya! And then we can all play together again like we used to!" Hana says gleefully.

Together? So they all knew each other?

"So we've decided," Kaede began, "To insure something like what happened with Hitsugaya does not occur again,"

"You will become my battle partner and we can both assume that the other will keep secret about our connection as well as our existence," The prince finishes.

My eyes widened, "Whoa whoa whoa, you're going way too far. I never said I'd do that.."

"I'm not too thrilled about the idea either..." The prince mumbled.

"Well if none of you will do it, Hana will!" Hana yelled at the top of her lungs.

"No, no, no, That's even worse," I say.

"Then as a knight I should do it if Prince Ion does not wish to go through with it," Kaede says, standing up.

I blush, "No way, you freak!"

"I thought I was a slob.." He says mockingly.

"Don't insult my knight you wench!" The prince says, jumping up.

"Wench? How dare you! Look at how short you are, what are you, 9?" I was stretching the truth a bit..He looked like he was Toshiro's age, but he was actually taller than him...But still he deserved a verbal beating. That loathsome little brat... And did he just call Kaede his knight?

"I'm 15 you midget! And I'm taller than you!" He exclaims back.

I pause for a second. Whoa..He was short for 15. But when I shake the reality of his age away I focus on insulting him, "15? Yeah right, you immature brat! As if you ever even kissed a girl before."

"Why you!" He stands up and and walks over to me.

I'm scared now because I think I might have gone a little too far..But I'm surprised because all he does is walk over to me and lift me up on my feet.

He seems now, strangely...Handsomer. Most likely because I've never seen a guy besides Ichi-nii after they come out of the shower. And I never noticed..How nice they smell. Or perhaps, how nice he smell. Wait, what the hell am I thinking? Well I'm thinking about how strong and firm his check muscles feel, and how gorgeous he looks with his wet hair brushed back out of his face. Then of course, how unbelievably beautiful and determined his red gaze was.

I shook my head and looked back up with an even more angry look. What am I thinking? This guy is so irritating. Why am I thinking about things like that..I even did that with Kaede earlier and I never used to th-

My eyes widened..What was he doing? What was I doing? My hands came up towards my chest as I could feel it, even though my eyes where closed now. I really felt small. And venerable. But so very warm inside. Because even though someone was rummaging around inside me, it was comforting..And it was a gentle lovely feeling. Which was weird because it was just contact..Just contact..That felt so light and yet so intense.

He had..Pulled me in so very suddenly. And our lips met for so very long. And at this moment, I feel something weird. Like that feeling..Butterflies maybe? No..It was different. As if...Well I don't know, I kinda just wanted something. Wanted this? No. I wanted more. And when I realized that I can't believe what I'm thinking.

I pull away suddenly and hold my hand to my mouth, glaring back at him.

"I'm immature, am I? What about that?" He says, whipping the side of his lip, quickly.

Hana is staring, with her mouth dropped open. And I'm blushing right about now. And you know what, I seem to be doing that a lot these days..But what's priceless is Kaede's reaction. It's like he just witnessed his little brother kiss someone or something. Because I think he's really freaked out. Hana too, seems surprised, but she's probably thinking somewhere along the lines of "that. Was hot"..Not what Kaede was thinking.

"You don't have to make the battle contract with her, Kaede. It's already done," The prince says, picking his towel up off the ground and slinging it over his shoulders.

I snapped back into reality long enough to process what he said.

"W-what? How..Why...What?" I asked.

The prince stopped and began with a hint of a smile in his voice, "So you didn't know? The way to become and official battle partner with someone is to seal your spirit energy within them. And there are a number of way to do that, but the popular way is one in which you can hide the act from an non-consenting partner. That action is a kiss."

My eyes widen, "What?" So you mean, he just did that to..And then because...Oh that sneaky bastard!

"I'll arrange for Kaede to pick you up tomorrow. We'll train then," He mumbles, stepping out of the room.

"Well isn't this interesting. I didn't expect prince Ion to pull that one, he must really think you've got the potential," Hana says, pulling her hand beneath her chin.

"Glad to hear he doesn't kiss every girl you bring in.." I say, still trying to cool down.

"You're the one who's childish at this point. You're still red after just a kiss," Kaede chuckles a bit. I look up to see he's gazing at me with a mocking smile. It's funny though, I don't think I hate that smile. In fact, I think it's the first time I've seen this slob smile.

"Oooo," Hana began, "Kaede is irritated!"

"What?" I say.

"You'll learn he doesn't smile often. And that's because he's calm and cool most of the time. But if he does smile, he's mad. Most likely pissed off. I think he's made because you made the prince he protect kiss you..And you're not good enough or something like that. I don't know.." She turns to Kaede, "Why are you mad?"

I made his mad? But how did I?...And I didn't kiss that arrogant bastard! He kissed me. And if Kaede can't accept that. I glanced up at him, then he's just going to have to hate me.

He didn't answer her.

My head dropped, he definitely hates me. Now I'm depressed.

We he looks at me, he lifts an eyebrow, obviously interested in my expression. He plants his hand in Hana's hair, "Now now, don't be spreading rumors.."

He gets up and walks over to me. Goodness he was tall. I immediately tense up because I don't want the same thing to happen as before.

He leans down and whispers in my ear, "It's amusing how you seem to have not ability of hiding your emotions."

My eyes widened..What does that mean? That he can tell that I...Can he almost read what I'm thinking by the expressions on my face?..And then..Could the prince too? That means I looked like an innocent little girl this whole time...And..

* * *

The minute I arrive back at home. I know he was waiting for me. And sure enough on my door step, there he was, about to fall asleep at the door step.

"You know, something tells me you have a lot to harp on me about," I tell him.

"I've been thinking a lot..And there's only a few things I have to tell you," He says.

"The please, come in," I open the door to Yuzu and I's cottage. The lights are all off with tells me Yuzu had been informed by Toshiro that I was probably doing something with him. I'm glad she didn't have to worry about me..

Inside, I set tea on the coffee table and sit across of Hitsugaya in the lounge chair. I tuck my feet up behind me and waited for him to begin.

"I imagine..The Alice angels have told you a few stories.." He says.

"Regardless of your standing relationship with Prince Ion, Kaede, or Hana will not change my decision. I have decided to see this new world through to the end and assist them in any way I can. I will not try to sway your opinions on them and in exchange you will not try to sway mine. This choice is my own and regardless of the outcome I intend to learn for myself what Alice angels truly are," I interrupted, "Now with that out of the way, please continue."

"I had no intention of trying to educate you. Though I may not know you well, you're easy enough to read. You're the type of person that does exactly the opposite of what people expect. And even then, you don't take advice from anyone and are determined to learn on your own knowledge. Am I right?" He asks.

I grab my tea cup off the coffee table and look at the murky water.

"This..All of this is really new to me, you know. And considering all that's happened, I'm really trying to take it all in and handle everything to the best of my ability...There are still a lot of things I don't understand, so really what I'm saying is...That... I don't need anymore on my plate and I'd appreciate it if you'd just be a friend for the moment and help me make sense of everything." I say quickly.

He nods and agrees to answer any questions he can concerning my circumstances.

"First off, why was I suddenly dragged into all this? Somehow it seems as though the moment I met you, events started to trigger," I asked.

"If I knew you where royalty I would have never spoken to you in the first place. But after I researched you and found out who you where, I knew the Alice angels that had been watching me would go after you, a royal princess, and an acquaintance of mine. So yes, it is my fault." He says, "But I'm offering to keep them away from you for the rest of your life. I can send my subjects in to-"

"Ok, next question!" I interrupt before he can go any further, "Why are royalty so important?"

"It's not just any royalty. It has to be princes or princesses, because they have power. The power of an open mind and status. They can easily be exposed to something and adapt to it better than adults, and they can convince their parents or the council to do something better than a normal citizen could." He explains.

"What about Alice angels? What exactly are they? Prince Ion doesn't have bug wings so...And then they have fangs. What do the fangs do?"

"Honestly, I wouldn't know. The only one I've seen with wing like Ion's are his mother and Alice. But his mother passed on..And it rumored that Alice's wings fell of about a decade ago because of some illness. I don't believe Alice angels feed on other angels because they where originally a branch of the light angels, they couldn't have warped that far. More over, the teeth might be a mutation, or perhaps something carried within only the royal family because when we where young, Kaede and Ion had fangs, but Hana never developed any. That might even suggest only males have fangs. This might be because they use them to drain so sort of energy from victims. It makes sense because the males have had to do so much energy draining work in their history...Rather than a mutation it might be and adaption," He suggests.

_Who is Alice? _I thought in my head. _I'll have to ask the prince tomorrow. Something tells me Hitsugaya won't give me a true answer as to who she is. No one would be named after their species for nothing. Or it might actually be the other way around..._

"Thanks for your time," I say, standing up, "Then since I don't have any more questions, I will be seeing you at the light angel's party in 2 months," I say.

"Wait." He urges.

"What is it?"

"Well I was thinking.." He began, "And I'm actually asking this because I think it'd be beneficial..Not anything else but..." That's weird, I've never seen him trip over his own words like this, "I was wondering if you could be my battle partner.."

My eyes widened. Not again. I can't tell him I'm Ion's battle partner, but...Is it even possible to have two of them?

"I'm sorry but," I began immediately.

"I'm not asking anything of you. I just wish to always be able to protect you. I'm the one who got you into this mess, so at the very least, I need to atone for that much," He says.

"But.." My voice trailed off. What am I going to do? I can't just reject him. I mean, I could, but that would be really cruel. He's just trying to help for pulling me into this mess...

"I'll send in escort tomorrow and we'll go through the ceremony then," He says, standing, up and excusing himself.

But wait! Tomorrow I have to train with the prince.

"Wait," I say, grabbing his arm suddenly.

He turns back and glances at me curiously. I look away and try to avoid his gaze and hide my emotion. If not, he'll read me just like Kaede did and find out I'm hiding something.

"I have something to do tomorrow.." I began, darting my eyes at the ground.

"From what times, I can pick you up before or after," He offers.

_I don't know when he's coming you idiot_...I think. But there's not helping that..I can't just tell him, not tomorrow and maybe not the next day because the prince might tell me to come over then, too.

I tighten my grip on his shirt and look at him, "Let's just..Do it now and get it over with."

"We can't," He says.

"Why not?"

"Because the only way to become a battle partner legally is to have a blood transfusion," He explains.

Dang it, just when I had things planned out. When in the world did I have people nipping at my feet? Why does everyone want to become my battle partner. Not because of skill..But really because of protection. Hitsugaya actually wants to protect me. And the prince wants to protect the Alice angel's existence. I can't speak of the Angels now or people will start to ask how I know them..And since Kaede says I'm bad at hiding emotions...They'll figure out quickly..And if Toshiro's escort comes right when Kaede does..That's so many problems on my plate..And I don't even want to think what will happen when I'm trading back and forth between the two's estates. I don't think I'll have time for dance anymore. But hell, I'll make time for soccer. Since when I wonder...Did I become a toy for these boys. It's like their subconsciously fighting each other by seeing which of them can win me over.

"I-I...I hate the traditional way of doing things...You know how to control your spirit energy," I stall.

"Well yeah but.." He says.

"Then...Just kiss me and get it over with," I blushed and covered my mouth. What in the world did I just blurt out..What if he..He wonders who told me a kiss was also a way to become battle partners. Before, I only thought it was a blood swap between the two, and to do that you had to go through a legal system of paperwork to confirm your partners. But I suppose that's just what people tell us so that they can keep everything documented. I originally freaked out about the offer of the prince becoming my battle partner because..Well there's a first time for everything. And I didn't want someone I didn't know to be my first, if you know what I mean. Hana would be even worse because she's a girl and double girl teams are weak. And then Kaede...I had nothing against him but the fact he was a slob...

"T-that's illegal," He tells me, but when I look up he's looking away and blushing too. He's just as innocent on these things as I am. But he's probably thinking I'm some sort of fan girl or something or even that I meant it in a romantic sense.

"D-don't think of it as anything but a friendly action...It'll be fine, we can get it on paperwork later. I just have stuff to do tomorrow is all," I specify. I can't believe I'm doing this..Backing up this insane idea.

"Please don't tell me you're some sort of fan girl..." He says.

I knew he'd say that. I give him a hard whack to satisfy that theory.

"Alright, alright.." He says, rubbing the back of his head, "But you know what this means, right. When the media finds out I'm battle partners with a dark angel, they'll be all over the circumstances..And then, when they find out we didn't have a blood transfusion..." He let me fill in the blanks.

"Honestly I'm real good at covering my tracks. And even if they do find out, I've dealt with the media before, it's nothing I can't handle," I assure him.

"Ok then.." He says.

I'm starting to shrivel up again, my right hand is up near my chest and my knees are buckled. Because now he was pulling me in. And I could feel it. Strange, but I could feel it, I was aware of everything. How my grip on his shirt constantly tightened and loosened. How very softly he breath. And once more, how unbelievably hot I feel. I know I'm blush. And I know I should be drawing up to kiss him back, right? But now I'm kinda just..Frozen.

Closer and closer, until finally, just inches away, he whispers quietly, "Just friendly, right?". But I don't think it is, hell no, I don't know why but I'm getting so flush.. All I can do is must a, "Mmm hmm," and nod my head.

So then, all I once, I can feel it. It felt different from the one with the prince. But it was just a comforting. And let me tell you, now I can't even figure out who's better at kissing. But then, I don't suppose I would know because they're the only two people I've kissed.

It was...Oh so very chilling. Not at all warm. But then it felt like, I was being examined from the inside out. Because I could feel the chill slide down chest and down my spine. Was that his spirit energy? I don't know, but it feels so weird. Like I'm on a cloud. Well ok, bad example, if you're on a cloud, you fall through the water vapor and die...But What I felt was like..Lying on a giant pillow that was scattered with the flower petals. It smelled good on that giant pillow. But I don't know, it felt really fluffy and really "right" when I..We..You know..

But I have to keep telling myself, friendly..Just friendly.. But I realized then, that it'd be impossible to do that. I could feel how intense it was, and I could never see something like that...Like this, being friendly. It was too hot...Unexplainable..Infuriatingly..Good. No way, it couldn't be. And of course I knew, Hitsugaya thought the same. Because he tried to back off, thinking he was bringing me discomfort, but the feeling still remained. Which is weird for a kiss, right? When it lightens up, the tingling feeling between your lips goes away, right? How would I know, I'm not and expert..

But then, I hear a floor board crack and I open my eyes. Sure enough, Yuzu was stumbling down the stairs, yawning and rubbing her eyes in her night time pajamas. She turned on the stair light, which shined on Hitsugaya and I. Snap! She'll get the wrong Idea if she sees up.

Yuzu dragged her feet over to the kitchen where she opened the fridge and took out a drink. When she shut the fridge, she turned in the direction of the living room. I quickly pulled Hitsugaya and I on the couch so that she couldn't see us. Yuzu squinted for a second and yawned. She put the drink back up and turned off the lights. When I heard that same floor board crack and the shutting of a door, I knew she was gone.

But when I glanced back to where I was, I was quite appalled. Hitsugaya definitely got the wrong idea. He was so close I could feel his breath as he stared at me. I stared too. Close enough, face to face, I, holding onto his shirt collar to make sure he didn't get up. And he, definitely confused and leaning over me.

My hands slid off him as I began quickly, "Um..My sister. I didn't want her to see.." But I'm sure this late in the night, this position we're in would be much worse. Even if we are only 11 and 12.

* * *

I don't exactly remember what happened. But the minute I step out of the grocery store. In the broad daylight, Kaede stood before me.

I almost dropped my shopping bag. What in the world...

He yawned, "It's too early to be up.."

I looked around and saw the grocery store's doors where sliding open, someone was coming.

I swipe his and and kick him in the bushes as an old woman waddles out of the store.

"You idiot," I began, "Don't let people see you!"

"Why?" The bush asks.

"Because of your wings you idiot," I say.

"I've come to escort you to Prince Ion's-"

I kicked the bush again, "Shh," I say as another person walks out from the market.

"You know you people should really be more careful. You can't just magically appear where ever you want," I whisper to him.

"That hurt.." He says.

And suddenly I feel someone grab my ankle. And all at one I'm pulled into the bush.

Kaede is holding me so close that I blush, but he's covering my mouth and shushing me. When I gaze out the foliage of the bush, I can see it. A man in black just came out of the market. He didn't have shopping bags, but he was wearing a suit and had glasses. Someone from the media apparently.

"You're the one who should be more careful. He's been following you the whole time," Kaede whispers, lifting his hand away from my mouth as the reporter leaves.

I try to pull out of the bush, but he still pulls me back in his arms.

"I still have to treat your wings," He said, "So while I have you.."

He pulls a little medicine tube out of his sweat pants(Is wearing the same thing as yesterday?) and snags the tip of my wings. I wince a bit at the sharp sting.

"Hold still, this is the real medicine. It'll sting, but you'll just have to bear with it," He says, and I can feel the cream on my wings. I shiver a bit because this time, it's cold. Really cold..

"Have you been exercising them," He asks.

It's only been a day since he told me to, of course I haven't.

"No." I say.

"Well you know what I'm going to tell you about that," He applies the ointment through my wing.

"I know, I know, start exercising them as soon as possible, right?" I say.

"You're very unlucky, you know that?" He says as he trades over to the second wing.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"When those boys start fighting over something, they don't stop until that something is torn to shreds," He explains.

"We yeah but, who says I'm going to let them break me?" I say.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

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	7. Ion

Ion

"What do you mean you've never used a sword?" The prince exclaimed.

"Like I said, I've never been big on combat, it's not for a princess. In fact, the only exercise I get is soccer, and I do that without the royal family's consent," I explain.

"No wonder all the other angels are wimps," He says, grabbing a sword and twirling it in his hand.

The training area was small, at least two times small than the one at the dark angel kingdom. However, it was much more decorated like the rest of this kingdom. The whole kingdom was not much taller than the trees of the forest, it wouldn't matter as long as it wasn't visible from the east, where the light angels where. However, just to be sure, they painted the roofs green and everything else a beige cream. I hadn't seen much, just the castle and this training ground. But everything seemed to be laid out pretty well considering they weren't even an official realm. Everything seemed to be made of limestone and the tallest building seemed to be the castle which was more of a mini 3 story building that was swished and elongated so that it was much like a two story cake with a dome on top of it. The farther up it went, the smaller the stories became. Every column and roof top was lined with the forest green camouflage paint. It was no different in this training area, which was about 20 acres of sand surrounded by columns and something of limestone bleachers.

"Just because I've never used a sword doesn't mean I can't kick your butt," I laugh, snagging a sword off the weapon's rack and imitating the same twirl.

"Just because you know how to twirl a baton, doesn't mean you know how to kill with it," He says, poising the sword to his center, the same as when he fought Toshiro.

"But it's not as if I'll be killing anyone, right? I mean..We're battle partners but-"

I blink, and there we go again he's just did the same thing Kaede did. He calls it blinking, it's like time stops for a minute and by the time it starts again, he's already moved to a certain place. And in this case, that place is right behind me.

The prince takes his blade and pulls it around my neck, "What do you think?"

He smiles, and through I can see those two pearly white fangs. Are they..Real?

I elbow him in his side and drop slid across the line sand with the heavy sword still laying at my side. Sheesh, it was so dense I couldn't even lift it. Screw this then! I drop the sword and pull myself into my fighting stance.

"I may not be skilled at killing," I began, "But I can sure as hell kill. This is one tomboy who knows how to fight!"

"Pick up the sword, you can't take down anyone without it," He says, gesturing his own blade toward the ground.

"Says who?" I ask.

"I swear I won't go easy on you just because they call you Hime-sama," He says, bringing his ruby red sword back to center.

"Is that supposed to be a challenge, Ouji-sama?" I taunt.

"You win and you can use any method you want to fight. I win, and you do whatever I tell you from here on out," He states.

"I fight because I want to, not because of the need to win," I reply.

"And that's admirable, but it won't provide you with victory. And as fellow royalty, you should know that the kingdom comes first, your personal opinions are always second. Battles are not won by honor alone," He explains.

"But who defines what a victory is? We can thrive without unnecessary death, so what's the point in winning a battle if it just increases a public face? If the people come first, why would we use them as pawns and needlessly throw away their lives for the sake of entertainment of the nobles?" I asked.

"Sacrifices must be made for the well being of your people as a whole. You cannot thrive without that," He says, running toward me.

"Over 80 percent of my realm's people die from battle in the age range of 20 to 25. Almost 2 percent live to be 60 or older. Do you call that thriving?" I say while I kick up the sword on the ground and lug it up to meet his blade.

"Your people volunteer to fight. They know they are putting their life on the line and that is precisely the reason those percentages are the way they are," He explains, pushing me back with his shear strength.

My feet slide backward as I take the sword in one hand and kick him in the stomach. With that, my hand can't take the weight and I drop the sword. The prince doesn't waist time and runs up to me, grabbing my wrist. I take my other hand and aim my fist at his stomach. He then throws his sword away and grabs my other hand.

"Now then, who's stronger?" He smiles.

Obviously him..Crap, I can't let him get me on the ground, that's my weakest area. Hastily I head butt him and stumble backwards as he lets go. My head hurts now..

"You idiot, that's cheating!" The prince states.

"No it's not! I used a fighting skill, right?" I laughed.

"Why in the world would a warrior with a sword let you head butt them. Damn it! This hurts," He head his forehead in pain.

"Pampered prince has a boo boo?" I giggle, holding my own head.

"You fool, even you're hurt from this," He observes, looking at me from out of one eye.

"Well yeah, but at least I got away, right? Quick thinking on my part," I laugh.

He laughs as well, "I guess that's true. But that was still stupid."

"Stupid! You call that stupid? What about throwing away your sword in the middle of a fight?"

"You did the same thing!" He retorted.

"But I'm not a swords man," I reply.

"I'm not either, in fact my high school offense major is magic. But since you don't have any spirit body, you can only be a warrior. That's why I'm training you, Idiot."

I lunge forward, my head still on my head, "We're supposed to be training together, remember?" I asked.

"As if I could forget, you disgusting excuse for a battle partner!" He snaps.

"You're the one who suggested it!" I yell.

"You can't pin the blame on me! We both decided to do this for insurance," He pointed out.

"Yeah, but _you're _the one who kissed me!" I exclaim.

The conversation seems to go to a screeching halt. We're both fuming now, both looking away, both mad at each other, but both blushing.

"Y-your the one who let me kiss you," He stutters.

"Sh-shut up!" I blush.

We don't talk for awhile, and we just stand like that, until the prince finally walks over and lifts his sword up off the ground. He stares at the blade for a moment and then speaks, "You're relationship with that guy, What is it?" He asks.

"What guy?" I questioned.

"Never mind.." He replied.

And suddenly his serious voice faded away. He shook his sweaty blond hair out and sighed, "Ah! You're so infuriating!"

It was really hot, so I took my hair and held it up off my back for a second and fanned myself.

"Well thanks for the insult. You're not bad yourself," I said.

"As royalty, you know people do nothing but suck up to us all the time," He began, "That was a complement." He specified.

He yawned and walked over to the bleachers where all the water was, as I followed, I noticed again, those pearly white fangs in his mouth.

"Hey, what's you're name again?" I ask.

"Ion, yours?" He replies.

"Oh that's right, like the millennium ion. Mine's Karin. I'm not good with names..So I might just call you Prince every once in awhile," I say, offering my hand for him to shake.

"Karin? Like the fruit? That's a weird name...And you're really terrible with nicknames to. Call me by my real name or not at all," He says, ignoring my hand and snagging a water bottle off the bleachers and sitting down.

"Why, is Prince not a good nickname?"

"Think about it," He commanded.

I tilted my head.

"You're so dense.." He said, drooping his head.

"Well you really do act like a perfect prince. Talking about your people all the time and demanding everything of people like they're your servants and acting all childish .." I glance over and it looks like he's about to explode with anger.

"What about you, opinionated brat? You walk up and sing your thoughts to any random person and you are never afraid of anyone because of your status, then you just saunter around playing games instead of putting your realm before you. You use the benefits of being royalty, but you deny the dedication that is obligated to come with it," He roars.

"At least I'm not self righteous 9 year old midget!" I retort.

"I'm 15! And god damn it, I'm taller than you!" He pouts.

"Is that the most eloquent vocabulary you can come up with?" I laugh.

"Are you childish enough to still plead me not to use bad words?" He replies.

"On the contrary, I just didn't think you where such an ass, using that language in front of an 11 year of lady," I say.

"Who ever said you where a lady?" He laughed.

I sniffle and glance away, "True..I am more a tomboy than most girls.."

His head drooped again, "That was supposed to be an insult.."

"You're definitely a strange one," He said, taking a sip of his water.

"You're the one with see through wings," I say, chugging down my water.

See through wings, red eyes, blond hair, and vampire fangs. His was the ideal fantasy character. How in the hell did a mutation like him even come up on this planet? I must be really cursed to have somehow met him.

"Oh right.." I began.

"Hey Prince..Err.."

"Hey Ion, can you open your mouth for a second?" I asked.

He glanced at me strangely and opened his mouth slightly, "Like this?"

"Wider!"

"Likwe this!" He said.

There..Perfect.

I reach inside his mouth and poke his left fang. It was surprisingly dull and much like an over grown canine tooth. His eyes widened as he felt the touch of my finger to his tooth. He tilted his head a bit to that the fang rest on my finger and closed his eyes. And for a split second I could swear he was reaching up to grab my wrist so that I'd keep my finger inside, but he stopped and just let me curiously fumble around the fang.

"Oh..So they are real! Though they're not as sharp as I thought they'd be," I said to relieve the awkwardness coming on.

I drew my hand out of his mouth as he turned away to grabbed a towel.

"What, did you think they where fake? And they're only dull when I'm not feeding," He informs.

A chill rushed down my back, "F-feeding?"

"That's the first time any outsider has ever touched my fangs...It's odd that you're not scared of them, but rather, even more curious by the fact you don't seem to have seen them before. It's like anything new to you is suddenly so interesting rather than scary. But what happens when you no longer have anything left to learn..." He mumbles to himself.

I don't really know..But I suppose that was double meaning. He was wondering if after I've learned all I can about the Alice angels that I'd just run out on them.

"I- I'm not like that!" I interrupt, looking down at the ground. What am I bursting out?

"I genuinely want to help your people! I just think it's unfair to be alienated," I say weakly.

"It's a dark angel!" I hear a voice call.

Ion and I suddenly turn around to find a citizen staring at the two of us. Her loud statement calls two other to the scene.

"She's with Prince Ion?" A man gasps.

"Shit." He mumbles.

And again, I'm being picked up like a rag doll. Ion grabs by waist and blinks away with me.

When we're up in the sky, he stops blinking and begins to fly.

"Why are we leaving? We still have to train,"

"You don't get it," He began, "I put that area under restriction so that no one would come in a see you, but it seems some teenagers got too curious, now we have to talk to Kaede. Because now the rumors will start spreading, and as soon as words gets wind to the royal council, you're out of here," He explains.

* * *

"So then you're sure that they saw you?" Kaede asked.

"They where saying 'look it's a dark angel' and 'she's with Prince Ion!' I'm sure they saw us," Ion confirms.

"Well then this is a problem, before we know it everyone will know.." Kaede admits.

"Any solutions to this?" Ion asked.

"Hana knows one!" Hana began.

"Shh!" Kaede says.

"What is it?" I ask.

Kaede sighs as he looks around the room slowly to my face and then back to Ion. We're both waiting for him to say something. He sighs again, "You're not going to like it.."

"Come on, spit it out." I say.

"The safest thing to do that would insure we could defy the council would be to claim you two are a couple. If we where to do that then we could say Karin could definitely be trusted and we could get to work on setting up a new realm, and also, we'd have support from the peo-"

"NO WAY IN HELL!" We both say simultaneously.

"Hana doesn't think you have a choice," Hana said, crossing her arms.

"Hana? Why are you not saying I?" I asked.

"Hana will say 'I' if you become Ion-ouji-sama's girlfriend!" She says enthusiastically.

What type of bribe is that. But none the less I never fail to blush at the wrong moment.

"I-I already became battle partners with him! But this is too much-"

"I agree, I can't stand to be with this brat for any longer than I have to," He says.

I hiss in his directs and he smiles back evilly. How dare he insult me!

"And right now you two probably don't have much of a choice..Tomorrow you two will start going on dates and make it public, you don't have to do anything but that and training," Kaede explained.

We both looked at each other and darted our eyes away.

Then somehow, we almost slam out hands on the table at the same time. We exclaim, "This is outrageous!" (Ion) and "I already said no!"(me).

But as it turns out, we both knew, by not following up with an explanation, that we really did have no saying..

"You're both so childish, it's not like you're actually in a relationship," Hana giggled.

"I'm not childish!" We both said at the same time. God, why does that keep happening!

"Karin, I need to put the medicine on your wings again," Kaede informs.

"But you did that before you brought me to Ion! That was like 2 hours ago!"

"It should be ever 30 minutes," He admits.

"Do you intend to keep addressing me as just Ion?" Ion mumbled.

While Kaede left the room to go get the medicine, I turned to Ion and threatened, "If you do anything creepy tomorrow-"

"You can guarantee I'll only play my roll to it's minimum. I want to limit contact with your disgusting figure as much as possible." He informs.

"If I'm so gross then why didn't you hesitate when you-" I stop myself. That topic was not a good one for the two of us..Not a good one..

"A-a kiss is nothing.." He fills in.

And then we both blush again. Why do I keep doing this! Ah! I never blush! Never!

* * *

It was just about noon when I arrived back at home. But I had to get groceries again and make a lie up to Yuzu about where I've been(I can't believe we bought the helping the old woman carry her shopping bags story. I mean, I was gone for at least 4 hours including the time it took to get to the western light angel forest and the time of training as well as the time to get back.), sometimes I don't know if she sees right through me, or if she's actually dense enough to believe me..

But again, as I walk out of the food mart, it's almost sparkles. How the light angels look in the sun. The dark angels just look like burning coal, but day, day was for the light angel. The night, for dark angels.

There he walked, on his left and right two large light angel body guards in black. People gasped as he walked down the road to freely. It was rare for a normal dark angel to see a light angel. And I remember the first time I saw them. It was intoxicating because they where almost dazzling. I have never seen hair so brightly colored, eyes so vibrant and energized, and wings so very purely colored. The body guards though, where a bit over the top, but I would do it too if I where in an unknown realm.

This time I held on tight to my shopping bag as Hitsugaya began, "Hello there, Kurosaki-san, I know you're busy today, but I was wondering if I could ask a favor of you," He stepped up to me and stopped.

"Wow, he's really handsome!" Some girl whispered.

"Shut it! You'll be exiled for saying something like that!" Her friend advised. And that was very true..

"My plans actually got canceled until tomorrow, so after I finish shopping I'm free. What's the favor?" I asked casually.

"She looks just like Princess Karin.." Someone muttered.

"No, why would she be in such clothing, and at a food market?" Someone else denied.

"Well I was wondering if you could be my date to this meeting," He laughs, "You're the only person I know who is sure to know how to act at meetings, you being roy-" He glances around and stops himself, knowing we can't let all these people know I'm a princess.

"So I suppose it's another formal ball?" I asked.

"No, a standard lunch meeting in the light realm. Of course, you won't see many dark angels there," He laughed, "In fact I don't know if they will let you into the restaurant, but I'm sure as a prince I can help them make an exception.." He says, casually rubbing the back of his head nervously and the other hand in his pocket.

"A prince?" Someone yells, but then is shushed.

Great, I have way too much attention to me now..I need to act like he's a old friend so that people won't try to recognize me. If I claimed to know him for a long time, they'd think it'd be impossible because Princess Karin is supposed to be pouring over her work 24/7 and that's why she can't do public appearances.

"You seemed to have thought it over quite a bit, and you can all this way just to come get me?" I asked.

"Yeah well.." His voice trailed off.

"Great..Now I have no choice but to go," I sighed.

"That's kinda what I was thinking," He laughed.

He followed me then, back to my house as I set my things down.

"There's something you probably should know about the meeting," He said.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"They're only going to be two people there not including us," He informs me.

"Why's that?" I ask while unpacking the strawberries.

"Because..Well because my parents have been nagging me and to freak them out...I'm going to introduce them to my girlfriend," He said reluctantly.

My eyes widened as I spun around, "W-what?"

"Y-you're going to be posing as my girlfriend, that ok?" He asked.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Like it? Hate it? Review review review!**

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	8. VOTE!

** Hey there! I'm sorry but this story, along with all my others, has been suspended until further notice. I know you all have been waiting for a new update, however, my summer break is coming to an end. And I was unaware, when I posted to hiatus message, that as soon as I returned from cam, I would only have 8 days until school started. So unfortunately, I cannot fulfill my promise..There will not be a chapter for this story or any of my others until I get settled into my new school. In fact, even if I settle in properly, I'll probably be too stressed to update anything but one story a week. SO! You need to go to my profile and vote for your favorite story of mine! I will update it this Friday! Then on Monday I will have a new pole posted in which you may vote again for which story I should update for that week. And so on and so forth. SO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE! Or you might not get an update on this story for months! Or maybe even until next summer!**

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